08 Sep 2016

Is your Desk Job Giving you Health Problems?

Your body is designed to be active, and it doesn’t take kindly to sitting all day.

Even if the effects don’t show on the outside, your insides are being punished – and the longer you sit, the more your body will be out for revenge.

What damage are you really doing when you’re sitting from 9 to 5?

Bad Back

Hunching over the computer day-in, day-out will give you more than a nice curved spine and a painful lower back. Leaning over as you sit (even when you don’t realise you’re doing it), puts strain on your spinal cord, and prevents your lungs from being able to fully expand. Less air in = less oxygen to your brain. This lack of fresh air can not only lead to bad general body circulation, but a lack of concentration.

Muscle Degeneration

It’s not only your back that will suffer as a result of your desire to take a seat. As your hips rarely get the chance to extend, they will become tight and limited in motion, which can lead to decreased hip mobility.

If you decide you’re too tired to work out after a day’s worth of sitting, you can also kiss goodbye your six-pack. When you stand, you tense your abdominal muscles. When you sit, you’re in relax mode. Unused, your abs will weaken. Say goodbye to your beach body.

Plummeting Metabolism

If you’re partial to a desk lunch, perhaps it’s time to change your habits. Sitting all day, particularly after eating, can cause your abdominal contents to compress and slow down your digestion. You may be efficient at getting your work done, but you’ll also be full of cramps, bloating, heartburn and, in some cases, constipation. Not really much of a reward, is it?

Organ Damage

Heart

When you sit, everything inside comes to a halt – your blood flows slower, and your muscles burn less fat. This makes it easier for fatty acids to clog your heart. Partner your sedentary lifestyle with a diet of unhealthy foods and you’ll be doing even more damage to your ticker.

Pancreas

Just one day of excess sitting can lead your pancreas to increase its insulin production. Basically, this means the less you move, the less blood sugar your body uses. This increases your risk for heart disease and diabetes, and makes you more prone to depression as those feel-good hormones aren’t effectively circulating to your brain.