Fitness
stimulate hip and lower body bones to grow thicker. Sitting also
causes inflexible spines, as regular movement allows our vertebrae
to circulate fresh nutrients and blood as they expand and contract.
Prolonged sitting causes collagen to harden around tendons and
ligaments and discs are being unevenly squashed. Herniated
lumbar discs are also more common. The psoas muscle (which
runs through the abdominal cavity) tightens, pulling the lumbar
spine forward which can lead to a bowing in that region. Craning
your neck forward while slouching at a desk can cause permanent
imbalances from strained cervical vertebrae and trapezius muscles
in the shoulders and back
Movement helps circulate and pump fresh blood and oxygen
through the brain triggering the release of brain and mood
enhancing chemicals. Being sedentary for a long time slows brain
function and depresses the mood.
Another seven year study revealed that women who were inactive
and sat for over six hours a day were 94% more likely to die during
the time period studied than those who sat less than three hours a
day. In men, the figure was 48%. Also revealed was the fact that
even if you exercise every day for an hour or more, it does not
counteract the ill effects of spending the rest of your day sitting,
not even for professional and Olympic level athletes.
Sitting shortens your life expectancy, and in some studies the
researchers believed that it could do so by up to 25 min for every
hour of TV watched. In fact, it is believed that sitting is as bad as
smoking, and the phrase “Sitting Disease” has emerged from the
medical community.