Sedentary lifestyle: Unveiling its impact on health

What is a sedentary lifestyle? A lifestyle that is devoid of physical activities. A person living a sedentary lifestyle is not involved in any exercises, is sitting or lying throughout the day, watching television, working on a desktop, playing video games, or constantly using social media. A sedentary lifestyle is termed unhealthy, there are many health issues associated with it. 

Let us explore in detail what a sedentary lifestyle is and why it is not good for us.

Sedentary lifestyles: Definition and characteristics

A sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle in which one is physically inactive, sitting or lying down, working on a desktop for long hours, playing video games, watching television, or just using a mobile phone throughout the day. The present modern generation is highly involved in a sedentary lifestyle because we are becoming technically advanced and are dependent on machines to do our work, similarly, our jobs also include working on desktops for long hours. 

A sedentary behaviour enables less energy expenditure than active behaviour, although it is not the same as physical inactivity. 

Here are some characteristics of a sedentary lifestyle:

1. Low levels of physical activity: There are no or zero physical activities in the daily routine.
2. Prolonged sitting or lying hours: Continuously sitting or lying in the same position for long hours, without any physical movements.
3. Increased screen time: Staring at a desktop or scrolling social media for a long duration of time, without doing anything else.
4. Lack of breaks that involve some physical activity: Taking no breaks in between which involve bodily movements to freshen up or to stretch between working hours.

Exploring the side effects of sedentary lifestyles on health

 A sedentary lifestyle has trapped a major chunk of the world's population in a lot of health diseases. People prefer/have to work by sitting throughout the day at home with zero physical activities. No physical activities harm health. Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of global mortality. 

A sedentary lifestyle might be attractive because it is easy and comfortable, but most people are unknowingly living a sedentary lifestyle simply because they are unaware or their ways of functioning demand it. Our bodies are designed to move just like any machine, we all know that if a machine is kept unused for a long time it rusts or breaks down, likewise, it is for our bodies. 

The health risks associated with prolonged sedentary behaviour

We often observe back pains or headaches when we sit in a single position for a long time. If you are sitting or lying around for long hours, it is extremely unhealthy and you welcome many health risks that you would want to avoid.

Here are some of the reasons why you should plan to change if you are living a sedentary lifestyle:

1. Obesity and weight gain: Sitting or lying for a long time means no physical activities. When we consume food we are required to use it by burning calories, we burn calories when we work out, and a sedentary lifestyle eliminates the means to burn calories and creates an energy imbalance in the body, over time, the calories pile up and contribute to weight gain and obesity.
2. Mental health issues: Prolonged screen hours and no exercise can cause mental health issues. Physical activities help the body release endorphins (relief from stress hormones) which helps combat stress.
3. Weak bones and muscles: Sitting or lying for long hours makes the body stiff. No physical activities can rust your physical movements and weaken bones and muscles. 
4. Increased risk of chronic diseases: Regular physical activities help maintain blood pressure and sugar levels. No physical activities would mean an increased risk of chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. 

Conclusion

Once you identify the repetitive lazy patterns of your life, you realise we all are prone to sedentary lifestyles. Identification and realisation is the first step, working towards changing it comes second. Our bodies are designed to walk, run, jump, and dance, inactivity just like any other machine will cause it to rust and break down. 

Remember to incorporate regular workouts in your routine, find hobbies that make your body move, take stairs instead of a lift, take short brisk walk breaks, stretch between long desktop working hours, and check yourself when you exceed the time limit while watching television, playing video games, or scrolling social media. Go healthy, go for a walk!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is meant by a sedentary lifestyle?

The characteristics of a sedentary lifestyle are low levels of physical activities, no body movement just sitting or lying around, and increased screen time. Many aspects of our lives contribute to a sedentary lifestyle: 

1. Working for long hours on the computer
2. Sitting or lying in the same position and scrolling social media for hours
3. Playing video games for long hours without any physical activities
4. Lack of daily chores

What are the side effects of sedentary lifestyles on health?

A sedentary lifestyle is very harmful for health and there are a lot of health issues associated with it. Below are some of them:

1. Increased risk of chronic diseases
2. Stiff bones and muscles
3. Poor mental health
4. Obesity and weight gain

What are some strategies to reduce sedentary behaviour in daily life?

Here are some strategies to reduce sedentary behaviour in daily life:

1. Incorporate regular physical exercises 
2. Set alarms to take a brisk walk break between long desktop work hours
3. Set time limits for using smartphones or playing video games
4. Look for hobbies that involve physical activities such as dancing, football, badminton, swimming, karate, etc.

Are there any long-term consequences of a sedentary lifestyle?

Yes, a sedentary lifestyle has long-term consequences therefore it is strictly encouraged to identify and change the repetitive inactive life patterns. A prolonged sedentary lifestyle can cause:

1. Increases risk of heart diseases 
2. Zero burning of calories therefore obesity and weight gain
3. Inactivity causes jammed muscles and bones
4. Mental health issues