Research has linked sitting for prolonged periods to a number of health concerns such as increased blood pressure, diabetes, being overweight and a direct correlation with early death. Too much sitting can also be bad for your mental health, leading to anxiety and depression. As a physiotherapist, a big cause of lower back pain in my clients is due to prolonged periods of being sedentary.
As human beings, our bodies are designed for regular movement and to stand on two feet.
The American Heart Association encourages us all to “Sit less, move more,” which echoes the fact that those people that sat for less than 30 minutes had the lowest risk of mortality.
However, office workers are the not the only occupations requiring prolonged periods in that deathly computer chair, many of our tradesman and truck drivers are also subject to such risks. Another common population that flies under the radar are our adolescents and students, who spend much of their time studying.
Utafiti umeunganisha kukaa kwa muda mrefu na wasiwasi wa afya kama vile shinikizo la damu, kisukari, kuwa na uzito wa ziada na uhusiano wa moja kwa moja na kifo cha mapema. Kukaa kwa muda mrefu kunaweza pia kuwa mbaya kwa afya yako ya akili, na kusababisha wasiwasi na mshuko wa moyo. Kama mtaalamu wa matibabu ya mwili, sababu kubwa ya maumivu ya mgongo wa chini kwa wateja wangu ni kwa sababu ya vipindi virefu vya kukaa. Kama binadamu, miili yetu imebuniwa kwa ajili ya harakati za kawaida na kusimama juu ya miguu miwili. "Kama ilivyoelezwa na Shirika la Moyo la Marekani, ""Kukaa chini, kusonga zaidi"" ni dalili ya kuwa watu walioketi kwa muda wa dakika 30 au zaidi walikuwa na hatari ya chini ya kufa." Hata hivyo, wafanyakazi wa ofisi si kazi pekee zinazohitaji vipindi virefu katika kiti hicho cha kompyuta cha kifo, wafanyabiashara wetu wengi na madereva wa malori pia wanakabiliwa na hatari kama hizo. Watu wengine ambao hawajulikani ni vijana na wanafunzi ambao hutumia muda wao mwingi kusoma.