The New Health Epidemic: Sitting Disease

by Allison Walsh - from Spine-Health


Sitting all day is linked to harmful effects on our overall health, and it can actually cause and/or worsen many back or neck problems.

• People who sit most of the day are at an elevated risk for non-accidental back injuries (See Work Ergonomics: Minimize Back Injuries). Load on the discs in your spine is actually less when you are standing versus when you are sitting (intradiscal load 100 kg vs 140 kg sitting). If you suffer from lumbar degenerative disc disease, this difference in pressure can make a big difference.
• Studies show that prolonged sitting leads to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, depression, and early death. Mayo Clinic endocrinologist James Levine, an outspoken advocate for standing more, has studied the effects of too much sitting. He comments, “Today, our bodies are breaking down from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression and the cascade of health ills and everyday malaise that come from what scientists have named sitting disease.”
• Naturally, when we stand we fidget and move around more than we would if we were sitting. Use this calorie-burn calculator to see how many more calories you’ll burn by standing for all or part of your workday - it adds up! I tried it and the weekly incremental calorie burn I experience now by using a standup desk is 830 extra calories per week, or about a pound a month!
• According to a study that examined mortality in women, those who are inactive and sitting for more than 6 hours a day are 94% more likely to die prematurely.5 Men - you are not off the hook! Your sedentary lifestyles increase your risk of cardiovascular mortality by 82%.
• Standing while you work on your computer requires the core muscles to be engaged. A strong core leads to better overall health and better back health.

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