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Fitness As soon as we sit, the electrical activity in our muscles drops, leading to less fat being burned, about one calorie per minute. Your abdominal muscles are always active when you stand and move around, keeping you upright. Slouching while seated leads to a weak abdominals and tight back muscles, causing issues such as exaggerating the natural spinal arch. Decreased hip mobility caused by the shortening and stiffening of hip flexors limits range of motion and stride length. Issues with hip mobility are known to be the leading cause of falling in elderly people. Sitting also leads to pancake glutes as they are not utilised at all. This effects stability and walking. Our inactive lifestyles have also been linked to the decrease in bone density and the increase in developing osteoporosis. It is well known that movement - walking and running and in particular weight bearing activities -