Staying seated for long periods of time is never healthy, but in this pandemic, when everything is online, sometimes we have no choice. We don’t think about the effects of sitting down all day long as we work online, attending classes, attending meetings. Then we need to sit on a chair and chair pads as well. Then what are some of the effects of sitting down for long periods and how can we lessen this effect or avoid severe effects?
Actions have consequences
Stayed seated for long can weaken the muscles in your legs and gluteal muscles (or butt muscles) as you reduce the amount of walking done in your daily life. These muscles are large and important for walking therefore weakening of these muscles can result in more injuries. Walking, even if just a little, can help burn calories no matter how small.
Walking and exercising helps burn the calories you’ve ingested and better your metabolic rate (which determines the amount of energy you burn when you’re rested) so what happens if you reduce exercise? As you know, you gain weight. A very adverse effect of this is diabetes but that’s a different complex story for another day.
Poor posture is another side effect of sitting down all day, but this is common news. Back hunched as you type on your keyboard the hours ticking by, day after day, that can cause problems to your hips and back.
Other severe effects include a poorer mental health, heart diseases, diabetes, varicose veins (or spider veins where blood pool in your legs). Varicose veins are becoming more and more common in Asian countries.
How do we change this?
Of course, it’s not possible to do 180 to your lifestyle in this current pandemic situation. So how can you reduce these effects? If you’re staying seated for long periods of time, it’s better to use chair pads.These pads are known to help better your posture and reducing the burden on your hips and back.
As well as providing comfort, pads and chair cushions improve circulation in your body by lessening the compression and enabling blood flow into your legs and back. Better circulation means less risk of heart diseases.
If there is a chance to move around, take it. Walk around the house; go for a walk outside safely in the morning or at night when the chance arrives. Even small things can make a lifetime of a difference like using stairs instead of the lift, doing little exercises in between sitting down for a long time, doing fitness or dancing at home, walking home if you’re going to work. Small actions can improve your health.
It is important to look after your health now rather than later. Understandably, not everyone is in the position to go to the gym or take a walk in the park like before but every effort to better your health will count in the long run. This is only a very basic and vague guide to inform and help where it is possible. If you’re concerned about your health, please do contact a physician.