In the fast-paced modern life, we seem to be more and more inseparable from "sitting". In the morning, we sit on the crowded subway or bus to go to work; when we arrive at the company, we sink into the office chair and start working for hours; after a day of hard work, we go home and collapse on the sofa, swiping our phones, watching TV, and enjoying the so-called "relaxation time". Unconsciously, sitting for a long time has become the norm in our lives.
Maybe you think, what harm can sitting for a while do? It's just a little tired. But if I tell you that sitting for more than 4 hours a day may bring a series of unexpected serious consequences to your body, can you still remain calm? According to relevant data from the World Health Organization, about 1/4 of adults in the world sit for more than 8 hours a day, and the number of people sitting for more than 3 hours a day is increasing. Sedentary behavior has become a global health problem. Next, let's take a deeper look at what harm long-term sitting will cause to our bodies.
The first minute of sitting for a long time, the body has quietly changed
When you sit comfortably in a chair, you may feel that it is very comfortable, but your body has quietly changed. From the first minute of sitting down, muscle activity begins to decline sharply, and the efficiency of the body's calorie consumption also decreases, to about 1 kcal per minute. You may think that consuming less calories per minute is nothing. Don't underestimate this subtle change. In the long run, the reduction in calorie consumption will unconsciously accumulate excess calories in the body and become an "accomplice" of obesity. Just like the deposit in the bank, it seems that only a little less is deposited every day, but the amount accumulated over time is not to be underestimated.
30 minutes, metabolism "brakes"
When sitting for 30 minutes continuously, the body is like pressing the "brake key" of metabolism, and the metabolic rate can be slowed down by up to 90%. What does this mean? The production rate of lipoprotein lipase will decrease accordingly, and it is the key "helper" for our body to break down and use fat. Once its production is restricted, the decomposition and utilization of fat will be greatly affected, and fat will accumulate in the body, and the originally slender figure will gradually become distorted. It's like a factory. The operating speed of key machines has dropped significantly, and the production efficiency is naturally greatly reduced, and the products are piled up like mountains.
1 hour, the muscles sound like the "alarm"
When we work at our desks for 1 hour continuously, and the posture remains basically unchanged during the period, the muscles in the body begin to sound the "alarm". Muscles will gradually develop nodules and fascia trigger points. These "little troubles" will make the muscles particularly easy to fatigue and sore from time to time. Just like a rubber band, if it is kept in a tight state for a long time, the elasticity will gradually deteriorate.
2 hours, the risk of thrombosis "undercurrent"
When the sitting time reaches 2 hours, the situation is even more serious. The leg muscles are not effectively stimulated for a long time, just like a pool of stagnant water, and the blood circulation in the lower limbs is seriously poor. Many people will obviously feel swelling and pain in their calves, as if an invisible force is pulling the leg muscles. This is not a simple muscle fatigue, but a serious warning from the body, because the risk of thrombosis is increasing sharply at this time.
According to relevant studies, after sitting for two hours, the blood viscosity of the calf will increase by about 17%, and the blood circulation of the knee joint will decrease by about 50%. In this state, the veins of the lower limbs are very prone to form tiny blood clots. These tiny blood clots may not cause obvious discomfort at first, but over time, they will continue to accumulate and grow, like a snowball, and may eventually cause blood vessel blockage and cause serious thrombotic diseases such as deep vein thrombosis. Once the blood clot breaks off and "travels around" with the blood circulation, if it blocks the blood vessels in the lungs, it will cause fatal pulmonary embolism, and the consequences will be disastrous.
3 hours, heart function "frustrated"
When the sitting time reaches 3 hours, the changes inside the body become more and more significant. At this time, the artery contraction can reach 50%, and the blood pumped by the heart is significantly reduced. The heart is like a tireless "engine". It originally provides sufficient blood supply to various organs of the body in a continuous and stable manner. However, long-term sitting can greatly slow down the blood circulation speed and reduce the workload of the heart. Just like a car, if the engine is running at a low speed for a long time, the performance will gradually decline.
In the long run, the heart function will gradually decline, the myocardium will begin to shrink, and the originally strong heart will become more and more "weak". The decline of heart function will directly affect the blood circulation of the whole body, laying hidden dangers for the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis and hypertension. Studies have shown that people who sit for a long time every day are much more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases than those who are active. Once these diseases occur, they often cause great pain to the patient's body and even endanger their lives.
4 hours, the risk of obesity "soars"
When the sitting time reaches 4 hours, the risk of obesity will increase significantly. A study in Spain found that as long as you sit for more than 4 hours a day, the risk of overweight or obesity will increase. This is because when sitting for a long time, the calorie consumption is greatly reduced, the metabolism rate slows down, the decomposition and utilization of fat are limited, and the excess calories will accumulate in the body in the form of fat. Just like a car, idling for a long time without driving, the oil in the tank will naturally accumulate more and more.
In life, we can also see many such examples. Those office workers who often sit for a long time tend to grow a circle of fat on their stomachs and gradually gain weight. Clothes that originally fit well become tight after a while. Moreover, obesity is not just as simple as affecting the beauty of the body. It will further cause a series of health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc., just like pushing down dominoes, one problem triggers a series of chain reactions.
Increasing daily exercise is also essential. The World Health Organization recommends that adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise per week. If conditions permit, you can choose to walk or ride a bicycle to and from get off work, which can not only exercise your body, but also enjoy the scenery along the way, and contribute to environmental protection; during the lunch break on weekdays, you may wish to do some simple exercises, such as playing table tennis, doing aerobics, practicing yoga, etc.; on weekends, you must not be lazy, go outdoors more often, do brisk walking, jogging, badminton, swimming and other sports, and enjoy the happiness and vitality brought by sports. Health is our most precious wealth. Don't let sitting for a long time become a stumbling block on our pursuit of health. From now on, change the habit of sitting for a long time, develop a good lifestyle, make our bodies full of vitality, and embrace a better life! If you still have questions about the harm of sitting for a long time or a healthy lifestyle, please leave a message in the comment area for discussion, and don't forget to share this article with your relatives and friends around you, so that more people can understand the harm of sitting for a long time, take action together, and protect the health of yourself and others!
