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The modern world is becoming ever more connected by technology. This has its good points, but one major disadvantage is the affect this has on our personal health. Spending most of the day sitting in front of the computer or television can cause a number of health problems. This sedentary lifestyle has even been linked with a higher risk of early death. Unfortunately, because of the changing nature of work, many people in western countries spend most of their day sitting down. This is not likely to change, either. If you’re at risk of health problems from this type of sedentary lifestyle, you need to become more aware of its dangers. That way you can take preventative measures to maintain your health and wellbeing.

 

The Data on Sitting and Health

A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that sitting too much was linked to the risk of an early death. This study was performed on a group of 8,000 people, and studied their personal health over a period of four years. The study found that the more time participants spent sitting, the higher their risk of death from was. And the participants were higher at risk of all causes of death as well. This means that sitting for long periods probably has a negative impact on every system in the body.

 

There is no known amount of time spent sitting at which the risk of dying increases. But doctors found that people who sat more than 13 hours a day had a 200% higher risk of death than those who sat for less than 11 hours a day. These statistics show the extent of the negative effects a sedentary lifestyle has on your body and your personal health. That’s why it’s so important that you take preventative measures as soon as possible.

 

How Sitting Damages your Health

Doctors aren’t sure why sitting for a long time damages health, but believe that it’s due to a variety of factors. Sitting for too long means lower overall activity, which can lower muscle mass, heart health, and calorie consumption. This can lead to excess weight and all the associated health problems. Sitting too long may also reduce insulin sensitivity and negatively impact your overall mood and mental health. Because sitting too long has been linked with all causes of death, it seems likely that it causes a number of problems within the body, some of them leading to very serious diseases.

 

Seniors and the Sedentary Lifestyle

This study has even more implications for senior citizens. They might not have a job or lifestyle that forces them to be sedentary most of the time, but as people get older, they tend to move less. This means that they’re naturally more at risk from the negative health effects of sitting too much. Seniors should be especially careful to keep moving as much as their physical health will allow it if they want to stay health and lower their risk of an early death.

 

Evaluating your Risk

Before you start dealing with any problem you need to know the extent of it. This means understanding your own personal health, and any risk factors you have. A full health assessment will give you the information you need to identify any problem areas and start to implement needed changes. Monitoring your health at home will also help. It will keep you informed about any improvements, and act as an early warning system if there are any serious problems.

 

How to Improve your Personal Health

You can’t change the fact that sitting is bad for your body. However, you can take control of your personal health by being aware of the dangers and taking preventative measures. During this study on sitting, doctors found that people who sat for thirty minutes or less at a time had the lowest risk of mortality. Based on these results, they recommend that you sit for no longer than 30 minutes before taking a break. And this doesn’t mean a slow walk down the hall. If you can, you should take a brisk walk for five minutes every half an hour to markedly lower the health effects of a sedentary lifestyle. This may not be possible depending on the demands of your job, but any measure to increase movement and decrease sitting will improve your personal health.

 

If you are have a sedentary lifestyle and fear that you’re at risk for an early death, using tools such as HomeLab can also help. This tool will keep track of your personal health, give you feedback on any preventative measures you take, and indicate any serious problems so you can talk to your doctor.

 

Tags: Health check, preventative, personal health, health assessment