Why Is Sitting So Bad For Us?

Dr. Murat Dalkilinç walks us through it:

Don’t take it sitting down

The human body has evolved for movement, and prolonged sitting—a very recent innovation on the evolutionary timescale—places physical stresses on multiple body systems that can affect both short-term function and long-term health.

In fact, with over 360 joints, about 700 skeletal muscles, an upright posture, circulation that benefits from movement, responsive nerve cells, and elastic skin, we’re build of almost nothing but features that reflect a body well adapted for frequent motion.

So, what happens if we sit too much?

• Effects on the spine: sitting with a curved back and slumped shoulders places uneven pressure on the spinal discs, overworks certain ligaments and joints, and strains muscles that then must try (and generally fail) to adapt to the hunched position.
• Effects on nerves: compressed nerves can impair nerve signaling and cause numbness, while restricted blood flow through compressed vessels can contribute to swelling in the limbs.
• Effects on breathing: a hunched posture reduces the size of the chest cavity, giving the lungs less room to expand, and reducing the amount of oxygen entering the blood.
• Effects on fat metabolism: prolonged sitting reduces the activity of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that helps break down fats in the bloodstream, making fat metabolism less efficient.
• Effects on the brain: reduced movement can decrease blood flow and oxygen delivery, which can lower alertness, concentration, and cognitive performance.

No surprise, then, that extended periods of sitting have been associated with increased risks of various cancers, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, and more.

Indeed, research cited in the video estimates that this kind of physical inactivity contributes to about 9% of premature deaths worldwide, representing more than 5 million deaths annually.

For more on all of this plus visual illustrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like:

Stand Up For Your Health (Or Don’t) ← this is about reducing the damage done by sitting, including if for whatever reason you have to spend a lot of time sitting, including if you physically cannot stand and/or cannot walk.

Take care!