You know, sitting down to write this article it seems pretty obvious at the start. But, it may go a bit deeper than most people think already. Sure, we all know that sitting around on our butts and getting bigger and fatter is bad. But is it so bad that it may actually ruin or metabolism? Can it even undo the benefits we get from exercising? Today that’s what we’re going to discuss. The negative effects of staying on your butt all day and sitting too much.
Sitting too much and it’s effect on your heart
In people with more sedentary lifestyles, studies have shown that their hearts are more round than normal. And although it’s ability to change in shape is an evolutionary adaptation of the human heart, it can actually be bad for you. A rounder heart can make it harder for us to deal with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic heart illnesses. That’s not to say you’re stuck with a round heart for life, as changes in lifestyle can likely reverse the change of shape in your heart.
As for a more obvious detriment, sitting too long can give you poor circulation. When you’re on your butt all day, blood remains in your feet and lower legs due to a lack of movement. This causes your body’s circulation to slow down and results in sensations like tingling or numbness.
It affects your brain, too.
Your physical health isn’t the only thing that suffers when you spend all day on your backside. Sitting for extended periods of time is shown to slow down brain function, which leads to memory loss and a more frequent occurance of brain fog. If you ever are sitting around and can’t help but get distracted, try getting up and going for a walk. See how it helps your focus when you land back in your chair.
Sitting Too Much: Final Thoughts
Look, it’s 2019. There’s not much more that needs to be said about this subject. I think you can ask any joe smoe down the street and they’ll tell you that this is bad for you. Everybody with lower back pain will tell you that a huge part of it was hours spent on the couch or in a chair. Anybody that’s experienced any kind of heart failure will tell you that they wished they had spent less time on their butts. But it really is up to you. You have to get out there and make the decision to move around.
And starting with light exercises like walks is a great place to start. And this isn’t trying to discourage you here either, but you’ll have to ramp it up eventually. I know too many people who “start light” and either quit or never stop going light. Intense, varied exercise is what you’re going to need to make sure you stay in top shape for as long as you can. And I can recommend nothing as much as I recommend High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT. It’s a great form of working out that will keep you fit and strong for as long as you do it.
