Sitting is a problem for many people. Not because they have trouble sitting, but because they do so much of it. But what could sitting do to us? In the long run, a lot of bad things, unless they are remedied or counterbalanced with certain activities. There are people who do a lot of sitting, some of whom do it professionally. Some do it casually, because they love playing video games, or are simply put, lazy.
Sitting can have serious health risks, and here are some of them, in no particular order.
Problems With the Hips
There is nothing like an inflamed sciatic nerve, torturing you as you move, breathe, sneeze, turn in bed or even get up from a chair. The sciatic nerve runs through the body, passes through the gluteus muscles, and goes straight to the toes. With enough sitting, our glutes can wear out and can become tight, putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. Anybody who has ever had sciatica will know how painful and difficult it is to suffer pain whenever you move with your legs or even your torso.
Other than sciatica, lots of sitting will affect the hip flexors. They will get tight and will therefore weaken. Once an agonist muscle weakens, the antagonist will become stronger, putting more stress on the lower back. Our body has to be in balance, and one part of suffering will lead to another.
Problems With the Back
If you were not scared enough of hurting as you walk, get up, or sit, what about suffering because your back is becoming weaker. Most people have terrible sitting postures. Their shoulders are slumped, their lower back is completely relaxed and their abdomen and hip flexors are tight. Slumped shoulders, particularly if using chairs that have no armrests, can lead to one side of the body being higher than another. Given how our body is connected, most of these problems stem from the back which is in a terrible spot for multiple hours.
A Slower Metabolism
When sitting, our body is being told constantly that it should not use energy. This can lead to issues in the long run as the metabolism slows down. This also means worse circulation. All of these things might seem far away at the moment but give yourself a couple of decades of heavy sitting and you might feel heavier and colder. Movement is necessary and natural and a sedentary job is very dangerous without proper exercise, or even simple stretching.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
What is often not talked about, but has been recently, especially in the esports scene, is carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when we put a lot of pressure on our wrists, which is due to a bad posture when sitting on a desk, often typing on a keyboard. We are putting pressure on the carpal nerve, which manifests as a tingling or painful sensation in our hands and fingers. Treating this can take lots of time, as one could expect.
Working in a sedentary position can be dangerous for our health, particularly in the long run.
