The human body is structured in such a way that looks naturally like a machine which needs proper care and attention. Like a vehicle for example, it requires constant checking and maintenance to run effectively.
Exercise is an important aspect of the human body because it keeps body and soul healthy. A cursory look at the lifestyle of aged people especially those in the rural areas or villages, revealed that they maintained a healthy lifestyle by way of feeding on natural food and herbs as well as exercises through farming which keeps the body in constant check,mobility and health.
Modern lifestyle on the other hand is mostly a sedentary one with most people spending more time on their backside, siting or relaxing even while working, rather than on their feet.
Sitting is a basically a normal human body posture, which can occur when people work, socialise, study or travel around. In fact it is like a second nature to humanity.
The problem however, is not sitting in itself but the amount of time spent in a relaxed or sitting position. It has been scientifically discovered that too much of sitting can be harmful to the body and the sad part is that the kind of lifestyle we experience these days encourage people consciously and unconsciously to embrace a sitting position.
This is vividly seen in the life of an average person who works in an office in an administrative capacity as a secretary, receptionist, drivers, watching televisions etc. These persons may spend an average of 10 to 16 hours daily in a relaxed or sitting position whereas a farmer or agriculturist may sit for about three to four hours a day.
In fact, the typical office worker may spend up to a whopping 15 hours per day sitting. Agricultural workers, on the other hand, only sit for about 3 to 4 hours a day.
Scientific research has shown that sitting does not burn plenty of calories rather, everyday non-exercise activities, like standing, walking and even fidgeting, still burn calories.
This energy expenditure is known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), the lack of which is an important risk factor for weight gain. Sedentary behaviour, like sitting or lying down, involves very little energy expenditure. It severely limits the calories you burn through NEAT.
To put this in perspective, studies report that agricultural workers can burn up to 1,000 more calories per day than people working desk jobs.
Sitting too much causes weight gain
In weight management, the fewer calories you burn, the more likely you are to gain weight. The danger of gaining weight is in its strong link to becoming obese. Obese people sit for at least two hours longer than skinny persons do.
Sedentary behaviour causes diseases as it’s been proven to be closely linked to almost 35 chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart conditions, increase in blood sugar levels, unecessary fats, hypertension, insulin resistance -a key driver of type 2 diabetes etc.
Scintific studies has revealed that walking fewer than 1,500 steps per day, or sitting for long periods without reducing calorie intake, can cause a major increase in insulin resistance. While regular exercise is always recommended, it can’t completely offset all the health risks of sitting too much.In a worst case scenario, an hour of intense exercise cannot make up for the negative effects of inactivity.
It is therefore medically advisable for many who through no fault of theirs but by virtue of the nature of their jobs live a sedentary lifestyle to find time to always exercise their bodies in order to balance the negative effects of inactivity of their body and thus, avoid the risk of ill health.
