Some jobs require you to be on your feet all day, but some hold you down on a chair for 10 hours or so. Sedentary jobs are what most corporate workers are doing. These desk jobs have you sitting in front of a computer and working non-stop up until your shift is over. You will find yourself doing this again and again. The cycle never stops, and this routine has been ingrained in your life.
There might come a point in your life where you are thinking: "Is this the best job I could have?", "Am I doing more harm than good to my body?" If those questions crossed your mind then maybe it is time for you to re-evaluate your life choices.
A sedentary job can be the root of all your health concerns. If you are a corporate worker who is in the company for 10 years and has been sitting all your work life, you have all the reason to be worried. You are not getting any younger and maybe this article can bring light to your inquiries. Read on and find out what you need to know and what else can you do to change or improve your sedentary job experience.
Sedentary Jobs Make You Less Active
Being confined to a desk job, it is a known fact that you are bound to your chair and desk all day. Back in the office, you have no freedom or flexibility to adjust your current work setup. Now, when you are working from home, you have all means to make some changes.
But before actually looking into the things you can do to improve your sedentary job; you have to know that this type of work environment tends to refrain you from actually moving.
Most workers in this kind of work are dealing with a lot of job requirements and to accomplish them, they just sit and stare for an average of eight hours. They only stand to use the bathroom and have their lunch break.
Did you know that this kind of lifestyle can take a toll on your health? Sitting has been known as the new smoking. Although it can be relaxing or automatic in our daily activities, it poses a lot of health concerns. If you were to change things up, you might want to slowly get rid of that sedentary lifestyle.
What is a Sedentary Lifestyle?
A sedentary lifestyle is one in which an individual does not follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations. According to the CDC, a person should engage in 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise every week.
The majority of health professionals agree that 10,000 steps a day are the optimal daily activity target. According to the World Health Organization, 60 to 85 percent of the world's population is insufficiently involved. Physical inactivity is also the fourth leading cause of death worldwide.
Nearly 86 percent of American employees have positions that entail long periods of sitting, according to new health statistics on desk jobs. When it comes to desk work, there are some health concerns to address. Your posture, mental wellbeing, and stress levels are all affected by sitting. It may also play a role in medical conditions like cardiovascular disease and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Sedentary behavior is rapidly becoming a major public health concern. Despite being related to a variety of chronic health problems, sedentary lifestyles tend to be becoming more common in many countries.
Inactivity for a long time can slow metabolism and impair the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, and fat breakdown.
Health Issues that Come from Leading a Sedentary Lifestyle
The latest research is beginning to affirm the negative health effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
Studies have repeatedly shown that leading a sedentary lifestyle contributes to:
● Type 2 diabetes is caused by obesity.
● Cancers of various kinds
● Early death due to cardiovascular disease
● Higher blood levels of fat and sugar
● Pave the way for depression and anxiety
● More likely to be physically unfit
● Decreased muscle mass
● Increased cholesterol levels
● Tendency to be obese or overweight
● Difficulty in breathing
● Struggle to move even in doing simple tasks
What You Can Do to Change Things Up
Given that a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to a plethora of diseases, you should do something about it to avoid being too dependent on a chair. Below are a few things you might want to consider doing so that you can add a bit more variety to your routine.
1. Try substituting your typical and traditional desk for a standing desk or bike desk. You can check out options on FlexiSpot’s website. Use it for a few hours per day, you can dramatically minimize the negative effects of inactivity. Your legs will be stronger, and your stamina will improve in a matter of weeks. You can soon find that standing is more convenient than sitting.
2. Dedicate a workout session to your to-do list. You can do a combination of aerobic workouts, such as running or walking, with strength-training exercises, such as weight training or body-weight exercises. These are some ways you can do to get the most out of your workout. To follow the minimum physical activity requirements, go for at least three 30-minute runs and two 30-minute sessions of strength-training exercises each week.
3. For every 40 to 50 minutes of sitting, five minutes of more physical exercise, such as walking, will provide safety. These work breaks are also helpful since they provide exercise for the heart, lungs, and muscles, which helps to counterbalance the effects of sitting in a relatively fixed position for long periods.
Conclusion
A typical desk job can cause unwanted health concerns that should have been avoided with regular movement. To avoid causing a potential threat to your body, you should minimize the risks of a sedentary lifestyle by increasing your physical activity and using the strategies outlined above to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting.
