Working sitting is reducing your life expectancy: there are strategies to avoid it and maintain your productivity

Spending hours sitting in front of a screen has become the norm for millions of workers around the world. According to a study According to the American Heart Association, spending more than ten hours a day sitting significantly increases the risk of developing heart disease and can reduce life expectancy, even in physically active people.

At the moment, eight of those ten hours are already spent sitting, so this daily habit can be more harmful than it seems and will end up taking its toll on us by increasing the risk of suffering from cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

We are not designed for a sedentary lifestyle

According to the American Heart Association report, a sedentary lifestyle resulting from sitting throughout the workday limits the body’s ability to process fats and break down glucose, thus increasing the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. According to the researchers, the harmful effects of sedentary lifestyle They are similar to the impact of other harmful activities such as smoking.

“Our bodies were designed to move all day. They were not designed to be inactive and stationary with a metabolic rate similar to that of a person in a coma. I like to remind people that 30 minutes a day of exercise cannot immunize you from what you do. the other 23 and a half hours”, remember Marc Hamilton, author of several studies on sedentary behavior and professor at the University of Houston.

The effects of a sedentary lifestyle are not only seen at the metabolic level, but also It also affects our mental health. Studies from Harvard University have shown that a lack of physical activity can reduce the levels of certain hormones related to cognitive ability and memory.

A group of scientists from different European universities discovered that a lack of activity reduces the levels of hormones necessary for well-being such as endorphins, which help reduce stress levels.

However, the question that those of us who work sitting in front of a screen often ask ourselves is how to reconcile getting administrative work done and avoiding sitting throughout the day. There is hope. Experts agree that there are effective ways to counteract the impact of a sedentary lifestyle on our health.

Stay active in sedentary jobs

It may seem like a truism, but the best way to mitigate the harmful effects of a lack of activity is to consciously increase it.

Add movement to the routine

We know that, one way or another, we are going to sit for a good part of the day. Therefore, one should try to compensate for this lack of exercise at the minimum opportunity. Do you have to walk up a couple of floors to your workplace? Don’t wait for the elevator, use the stairs. Do you have the printer three meters from your table? Don’t push your chair to roll. Get up and stretch your legs.

Take frequent breaks

The brain needs periodic breaks during the day to regain its ability to concentrate. Therefore, take advantage of the breaks in your planning of time blocks or between tasks, to take over and let the brain rest and let the legs work. Walking a little to drink water or going to the other side of the office will improve your blood circulation and the supply of oxygen to the brain will help improve your concentration.

The small bottle strategy

A good technique derived from the “Ulysses Contract” to ensure that your future self gets out of the chair to stretch your legs. This “test” involves having a small bottle of water on the table, instead of having a large one. That way, you will have to get up to go refill it more often and you will be assured of activity. Remember the importance of maintaining hydration.

Use a standing desk

Use a standing desk It may not be a solution for everyone (due to injuries or inability to stand for long periods), but it is a good way to encourage yourself to get out of your chair and change your posture. It is true that going from a static sitting position to standing does not make much difference, but the simple fact of varying the position and having the possibility of taking small lateral steps by changing the support already contributes to activating circulation.

Monitor your activity

Within the context of becoming aware of the physical activity you do each day, it is advisable to use a smartwatch or quantifying bracelet. Seeing the steps you take per day and having an approximation of the calories you burn with your daily activity allows you to monitor whether one day you have spent too much time in a chair and perhaps motivates you to take a walk at the end of the day. Walking calmly for 30 minutes is an excellent exercise for body and mind. You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to counteract the effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

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Image | Unsplash (TheStandingDesk), Pexels (Andrea Piacquadio)