Warning- Excessive Sitting can negatively impact your health!
The main reasons why we should always avoid prolonged sitting and some of the adverse consequences of an excessive amount of sitting.
There is expanding proof that extended amounts of sitting may be detrimental to your well-being. First, sitting for long periods is understood to slow the metabolism, which affects the body’s ability to reduce body fat, regulate blood glucose and pressure levels, and could cause one to develop weaker muscles and bones. Even worse, it can put people in danger of the event of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
What is DVT and why is so dangerous
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is the development of clotting in a very vein somewhere down within the body. DVT regularly influences huge veins within the thigh and leg however can introduce this condition in numerous areas of the body. While prolonged sitting isn’t the sole reason for DVT, it’s a risk factor for this curdling disorder.
Delayed sitting can prompt the arrangement of blood clumps within the legs. this will introduce an embolism (PE) which is when the clots form and acquire stuck in an artery within the lungs. As indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), per annum upwards of 900,000 Americans may be impacted by venous thromboembolism (blood that blocks the flow of blood through your veins reducing the transfer of air to your lungs). This ends up in a mean of between 60,000 and 100,000 deaths.
Delayed sitting without getting up to maneuver around can prompt what’s known When a coagulation structures during a vein, it can make a visit to the center and lungs-shaping a pneumonic embolus (PE)- which may cause windedness, chest agony, and even death.
It is well-known by many who have DVT may result from sitting for long periods like on a plane which has been termed “Coach Class Syndrome”, or from being fixed in bed (after a medical procedure, for instance). A good many folks are knowledgeable that taking oral contraceptives, being overweight, and having some of the common inherited disorders can predispose a person to experience DVT and PE.
It may be a shock to some to learn that DVT and PE have likewise been depicted in individuals who have created a habit of engaging in an extended time in front of a PC. There was even a reported story revealed by a few media sources mentioning that a 20-year-old British man who supposedly suddenly sickened ill from a PE and died after sitting and playing on his Xbox for an extended time without taking a break.
As per the American College of Cardiology, if you’re sitting for over 4 hours per day, you’re increasing your risk of manufacturing these deadly blood clumps, within your veins by 48%.
The reality: the hazards of prolonged sitting are often reduced by taking breaks, walking, or doing light exercises during the day. the planet Health Organization cites prolonged sitting as a risk for DVT and recommends that individuals who sit for several hours each day should add breaks to stand up and move around every half-hour.
Air Travel and its correlation with DVT
Sitting in the cramped seats of an airplane could slow down one’s blood circulation. This coupled with the dry cabin air and the extended amount of inactivity increases the risk.
It is vital while flying or sitting at a piece area, to get up and stroll around essentially every hour to an hour and a half as DVT may result from sitting for long periods like on a plane preventing what has been termed “Coach Class Syndrome”. Although it varies greatly among passengers, there have been studies that found evidence of DVT that developing within 48 hours of flying on a plane occurs 2-10% of the time. The longer the flight the higher the risk with the most risk being on flights lasting more than 8 hours. Therefore, for long flights, it is vital to wear loose apparel. It is also crucial to ensure you keep in check your body’s hydration by consuming adequate amounts of water. In summary, if you’re traveling, the CDC says to do to seek out ways to induce up and move every few hours.
This is especially important if you have sustained any injuries in the lower legs, are pregnant or have recently given birth or have a clotting disorder, or have a family history of DVT.
Typical Signs of DVT
- Pain, Cramping, and/or Swelling – This usually occurs on one side of one’s leg, foot or ankle. The usual location is the calf
- Warm area of skin – There will be an area of skin that is warmer than the surrounding area.
Signs of PE
People who develop PE may have chest pain, dizziness, rapid heart rate or breathing, and profuse sweating.
The connection between sickness and sitting originally arose during the 1950s, when specialists found multi-level bus drivers were twice as at risk of having coronary episodes as their transport guide partners. The drivers sat for 90% of their movements, the guides moved around 600 steps each functioning day
Move more, sit less
An association between sitting and adverse illnesses to this point has not been cited as the direct cause because the overwhelming majority of the proof depends on observational examinations which can take years to complete. However, If you have got a consistent sedentary lifestyle, the CDC recommends exercising your legs while sitting by:
• Tightening and releasing your leg muscles
• Raising and lowering your heels while keeping your toes on the ground followed by raising and lowering your toes while keeping your heels on the ground.
- Reduce TV time and other sitting-based tasks (avoid having extended periods sitting in front of the Television, Gaming unit, or computer).
- If you’re driving, maneuver and walk around every two to 3 hours; if you’re on a plane, walk the aisles once you can.
• When possible, take the steps and/or walk up escalators
• When you’re taking a work break, incorporate a mini workout or fast walk whenever possible.
• If you have got a sit-down job, utilize a standing desk when working
• Take standing breaks every half-hour
Other Helpful Tips
Maintaining a healthy weight and staying active are the foremost recommended methods to avoid DVT. Studies have connected being idle with being overweight and enormous, type 2 diabetes, some styles of malignant growth, and early demise. to reduce our risk of chronic illness from inertia, we are encouraged to figure out routinely, no but 150 minutes per week, and diminish sitting time.
Stay Aware and Get help if you see signs
All of that said, if you believe that you may have possibly formed a blood clot, make an appointment to get it checked by your doctor immediately. If it is confirmed that you have a clot, if it is small, your doctor may choose to treat it with medication and compression socks; However, in severe cases, definitely will have to be surgically removed to prevent stroke, heart attacks, or death.