What happens when you engage in prolonged sitting without breaks
Extended periods of sitting or lying down can raise your risk of developing chronic health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. This is exactly why experts say sitting is the new smoking! Prolonged sitting can also be detrimental to one's mental health, causing issues like stress, anxiety, and depression. Here is what happens when you sit for prolonged hours without taking breaks.
Increased weight
Your body breaks down the sugars and fats you eat with the assistance of your muscles. Long periods of sitting lead to inefficient digestion, which means your body stores those sugars and fats as fat. If you exercise but spend a lot of time sitting down, you run the risk of developing health issues like metabolic syndrome.
Varicose veins
Long periods of sitting can cause spider veins, which are a smaller version of varicose veins. This is a result of your legs' blood pooling when you sit. Most of the time, varicose veins are not harmful. Rarely, they may result in blood clots, which can pose major health risks. Exercise daily and take frequent breaks in between when you are sitting excessively.
Hips and back issues
Sitting for extended periods can also weaken your hips and back, just as it can your legs and glutes. Your hip flexor muscles shorten when you sit, which may result in hip joint issues. Long periods of sitting can also lead to back issues, particularly if you don't use an ergonomic chair or workstation or if you sit with bad posture all the time.
Neck issues
In addition to being uncomfortable, bad sitting posture and workplace ergonomics can harm spinal structures over time and increase the likelihood of experiencing recurrent episodes of back or neck pain. If you spend a lot of time bent over a computer keyboard, your neck and shoulders may become sore and stiff. When you are sitting for extended periods, take frequent breaks.
