Leading a sedentary lifestyle? Keep away the health risks!

More commonly known as the 'sitting disease', a sedentary lifestyle is the disguised trap of comfort that we have constructed, all around us. Having eliminated all opportunities which would require us to physically exert ourselves, we have given in to the world of technology; washing machines for laundry, vacuum cleaners for cleaning, computers for almost every thinkable job and television for leisure. But no one sees technology as an evil. On the other hand, technology is the symbol of our intellect and creativity. However today, having surpassed our own expectations, we have fallen victim to our creations. This article will walk you through  the consequences of leading a sedentary life.

"Human beings evolved as a walking entity, exploring the world on our feet"- By James Levine (MD) and author of Move a Little, Lose a Lot. Medical practitioners have introduced a new term, 'Chronic Sitting Syndrome', to describe the long term consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, which results in a low life span.

What is a sedentary lifestyle?

A sedentary lifestyle is the kind of living which involves nil or a negligible amount of physical exercise. Today, we have tagged people who lead such lives as 'couch potatoes', but come to think of it, we are all couch potatoes; just in varying degrees. The activities we do perform throughout the day, are mostly ones that can be done while sitting down and thus, they don’t really result in any physical exertion.

Causes of a sedentary lifestyle:

There are many reasons for a person to lead a sedentary life. This would start with the nature of the job they pursue. If you have a cabin/desk job, you are automatically entrapped into hours and hours of sitting. Today, even college and school kids spend over 12 hours a day, with their computers (playing video games, social networking or even finishing their homework) and the remaining time goes into meeting up with friends and hanging out at cafés or other places, which again does not necessarily involve a workout for the body. If we dig deeper, we will realize that the root cause for this is the build-up of tools, which could replace our need to do physical activity. With the minimal use of the body for household work, there is a need to squeeze in time separately, for exercising. Many people cannot accommodate such a time in their routines and others prefer to get involved in recreational activities (which might or might not constitute the use of the body), instead. Thus, our lifestyles are sedentary today by nature, due to conditions which have been brought into existence over many generations.

Effects of sedentary lifestyle:

Obesity: The most dangerous effect of a sedentary lifestyle is obesity. Due to the lack of physical activity, people today, are more prone to being obese, which in turn leads to a series of other illnesses.

Cancer: A recent medical study declared that those who are physically active have a 40% lesser chance of getting cancer, than those who are not. Obesity also raises the risk of different kinds of cancer- kidney, colon and oesophagus. In women, it is also associated with uterine and post-menopausal breast cancer.

Strokes: During a stroke, the brain receives low amounts of blood and oxygen, which results in paralysis and eventually, death. This is also called a 'brain attack'. The major causes for strokes include hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol and substance abuse, some of which are the result of leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Diabetes: Majority of the Type 2 Diabetes cases are connected to obesity. A sedentary lifestyle increases the chances of a person suffering from diabetes.

Heart Problems: A great proportion of people suffering from heart diseases are also patients of hypertension and cholesterol. A sedentary lifestyle amplifies the risk of these and might result in a sudden cardiac death, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythm and congestive heart failure.

With the minimal use of the body for household work, there is a need to squeeze in time separately, for exercising. Many people cannot accommodate such a time in their routines and others prefer to get involved in recreational activities (which might or might not constitute the use of the body), instead. Thus, our lifestyles are sedentary today by nature, due to conditions which have been brought into existence over many generations.

Moving up the ladder: Altering your lifestyle

Once you are aware of your sedentary lifestyle, you can work towards a healthier one. This would involve making efforts in the following ways:

Balanced diet: Since we do not exercise regularly and have the tendency to eat junk and fast food, obesity becomes the direct consequence. Stop eating oily and spicy foods- shift to a balanced diet consisting of whole grain items, fresh fruits and vegetables. This does not imply that you have to go on a bland diet. You can still let your taste buds have a blast, by preparing healthy and tasty food. Today, a series of healthy recipes are available online, which you can use to even satisfy your sweet tooth.

Physical exercise: The most important requirement of a lifestyle alteration is to begin exercising. This does not mean that you have to hit the gym and begin to radically push yourself towards unrealistic goals. What you have to do is to take small steps, which will bring out big results. Start from counting the amount of time you are sitting down. Put reminders on your phone so that after every 1.5 hours of sitting down, you take a walk and stretch for at least 10 minutes. Reduce the amount of time you stay put on the couch. Starting walking; don't jog or run, just start with walking for about 20 minutes and slowly, progress to jogging or running for about 45 minutes.

There are other simple ways to increase physical activity: take the stairs instead of the escalator and don't snack on heavy foods; pick up fruits or indulge in whole grain biscuits with green tea. Get in touch with people you know, who may also need to modify their lifestyles, set priorities together and encourage healthy living.

Wellness programs: Today, many wellness programs have been started to encourage and spread awareness about the merits of leading a better lifestyle. Every wellness program is unique. Before you choose one of them, find out the components of the program and think about which one you would enjoy the most. Then, make an informed decision.