Too much sitting can kill you

Are you living a sedentary life? Spending hours sitting on paper works at the office, or just enjoying long hours in front of your computer or television? And you think its just okay since, to compensate, you exercise for 30 minutes everyday? Nah, you're wrong. Because according to a research from LA Times, "Sitting is the new 'smoking', and your chair is out to kill you."

Most of our daily practice is, we wake up in the morning, we sit and have breakfast, ride taxi or drive our car going to work, and at work or in school, spend the whole day doing the exact same thing: sitting.

Based from the research conducted, adults who sat 11 or more hours per day had a 40 percent increased risk of dying in the next three years compared with those who sat for fewer than four hours a day.

Yes, you definitely are very productive at work and have accomplished everything you needed to do; but sitting around all the time can take its toll on your health. Sicknesses like the following can be experienced with people who make sitting their 'most-loved-hobby':

Overweight or obesity
Because you just sit all day, you have a slim chance to burn all the calories you intake from the food you ate during the day. And since you are already dog-tired after work, your next resort upon reaching home is to lie down and sleep, and perhaps, after eating something first.

Diabetes
Most likely, to stay awake and continue work, you will be consuming more sugar-rich foods; thus resulting to higher blood sugar level, and then Diabetes.
Having this kind of disease is very risky and can lead to having cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Stress or Anxiety
Heaviness and bloatedness caused by excessive weight, dizziness due of unstable blood sugar levels, uncomfortable feeling caused by hypertension, all of these can result to warning signs of stress and anxiety.

And stress, once not properly addressed, can cause even more serious illnesses such as depression, nervous breakdown and cancer among others.

Mental illness
According to a 2012 study, those who sit too long negatively affects their over-all mental well-being. This is aside from the chain of reactions mentioned in the item above.

Another reason might be due to poor blood circulation within the body, thereby resulting to poor oxygen transportation to the vital organs of the body, especially the brain. And lack of oxygen in the brain can definitely cause death to brain cells and impairment to vital brain functions.

But, don't be so worried about these negative effects of sitting. If you really can't help the habit, here are tips that can add balance to your sitting-most-of-the-time lifestyle:

1. Instead of using the elevator in going to the next floor of the building, why not use the stairs.

2. Go for the farthest Comfort room your in work area instead.

3. Volunteer to answer the phone calls so that there are more chance for you to stand every time.

4. Don't text or chat with your workmates when you can talk to them personally.

5. Walk or ride a bicycle in going to work.

6. Have a five to ten minute break to walk or drink coffee while standing.

7. Do some small, even stationary stretching

So don't get lazy. Walk around. Stretch. Talk. Go to the comfort room. Roam around. Breathe. You can do all of these even you're at work at work-tied.

Remember that our bodies are designed to move and be active, so never stay sedentary.