Sitting for long periods of time negatively effects your physical health.
Okay, by this point we know that using an ergonomic desk is good for your health. And we know that sitting down for long periods of time can be bad for you. But how bad can a little bit of sitting really be?
Turns out, pretty bad…..
- Sitting down all day is as bad as smoking a pack of cigarettes. Of course these are bad for you in two completely different ways, but researchers found that sitting at a desk for 6-8 hours per day is as bad for your health as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
- Sitting down all day makes you more likely to have a heart attack. Scientists at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana analyzed the lifestyles of more than 17,000 men and women over a period of 13 years. At the end of their study, they found that people who sat down for most of the day were 54 percent more likely to die of a heart attack!
- Sitting makes you more likely to get all kinds of diseases. In another study, researchers found that sitting not only increases your chances of contracting weight-related diseases, like diabetes and heart problems—but it also makes you more likely to get cancer. Those who sat and exercised in the study fared a bit better, but even working out regularly was not enough to counteract the hazards of sitting too much.
- Sitting drops your good cholesterol. After just two hours of sitting down, your body’s production of good cholesterol drops by 20 percent, while the enzymes that break down fat drop by 90 percent– as soon as you sit down!
- Sitting for impacts your metabolic system. “Today, our bodies are breaking down from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression, and the cascade of health ills and everyday malaise that come from what scientists have named, ‘the sitting disease.’” –James Levine, MD, PhD
So what can you do if you have a desk job? Trade your traditional, sitting desk for an ergonomic desk. Offices all over the world, the likes of Google, Men’s Health, and even the FBI are turning to ergonomic desks because standing makes for healthier, happier, and more productive employees. But there are plenty of other benefits to an ergonomic desk or adjustable height desk. Check out our next post about the fun facts on standing.
And check out this nifty tool that will calculate how much of your day you spend sitting. The results might surprise you!
How much of your day do you spend sitting?
