How long is too long for you to sit down?
Most of us work in offices or do jobs that entail a great deal of sitting down. Sitting down while doing something constructive is not bad, but sitting down for long hours is what is questionable.
We all do what is required by our offices but securing our health is also important and there are a few things one can do to avoid sitting for long hours. People who sit down for long hours without exercising are at a higher risk of experiencing a number of things that may hinder their normal daily doings and worse of all their health.
Research shows that people who sit more than eight hours a day with zero physical activity are at a higher risk of dying similar to those posed by obesity and smoking. It is advisable to at least take breaks because it increases focus when comes back to work and is counted as a physical activity therefore, sitting for less than four hours a day is enough, fit and bearable.
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People who sit down for long hours can testify a number of challenges and health problems they may have experienced in the long run. We all know we release less energy when we sit compared to when we stand right? Some of the most chronic conditions one may suffer from is obesity and Diabetes. Other problems reported are, it can lead to increased blood pressure, high blood sugar and also, it can lead to excess body fat especially around the waist because one is obviously not burning any calories by sitting.
Elvis Muraya spoke to Nairobi News about his experience for sitting down for long hours. He is a writer and spends most of his time writing, always sitting and using his laptop which at times can be time consuming because of prolonged adjustments that may come up. He mostly complained of back pain that he experiences almost every day after a long day of work.
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“I love writing, I write to make a living and obviously I cannot write while standing I prefer sitting and to complete documents that I write in a day, for me it can take up to four or more hours, I tend to feel some pain in my back with which I rest but the pain keeps coming back every day even when I work from home,” Elvis said.
One thing one can generalize this is obviously sitting posture, the way you sit tells more about how you will react eventually. Poor sitting posture results to back pain because this causes compression on the discs in the spine and can lead to premature degeneration thus causing pain.
Though there are a number of things one can do to avoid experiencing such conditions, one can take brief breaks of about thirty minutes after every four hours, stand up while picking calls or watching Television and improvise with a higher table or counter. By doing this, it will counter the risks of sitting down for long hours and one would be safer and healthier.
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