If you work day after day in a sedentary office job, and statistics have shown the majority of Americans do (86% according to some reports), you should know that it’s slowly destroying your health. It’s not just the stress of a bad boss or deadlines, but all that time sitting, breathing poor quality air and many other health risks of office culture that are killing you faster than you probably think.
Endless Sitting
Medical researchers have been warning us for years that prolonged sitting is hazardous to our health. The experts say that even working out vigorously before or after work may not compensate for extended sitting. In fact, it may be causing as much harm to your health as smoking cigarettes, which is why some have called sitting the “new smoking.”
When you sit all the time, your muscles begin to get weaker, known as muscle atrophy, particularly the ab muscles. Even if you’ve been working hard at trying to tone them, if you’re sitting all day you may be sabotaging your efforts. Over time, those years of sitting can even change the shape of your butt and make it flatter. It can also cause everything from swollen feet or varicose veins to dangerous blood clots known as DVT.
It affects brain functioning, including memory problems, and mental health may be negatively impacted too. A 2013 Australian study showed that men who sat for six hours or more hours a day at work were 90 percent more likely to experience at least some psychological distress like hopelessness, nervousness or fatigue, as compared to those who sat for less time.
Poor Posture
If you slouch, which many people who work in a desk job inevitably do, you’re increasing your risk of many chronic conditions like arthritis.
Increasing the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
People who sit for six or more hours per day are also less sensitive to insulin. Insulin resistance is dangerous as the hallmark for type 2 diabetes which is triggered by obesity and sedentary behavior. Even if you seem healthy, you’re at high risk with a desk job.
Vision Loss
If you’re sitting all day at work, odds are, you’re spending a lot of time staring at a computer screen. Doing so over long periods of time can not only lead to headaches and migraines but damage to your eyes. While the blue light exposure from computer screens is relatively small compared to exposure from the sun, there is a concern over the long-term effects due to the long hours and close proximity of the screen. It may even lead to early macular degeneration say some experts.
A Greater Risk of Heart Attack
Sitting for long periods causes fat to build up on the heart. Your muscles burn less fat because you aren’t as active and as there is an increase of fatty acids to the heart it raises your risk of having a heart attack. Even working out regularly, say four times a week, doesn’t do enough to offset the damage of working at a desk job.
Sick Building Syndrome
The Environmental Protection Agency refers to working in a building with poor air quality as “Sick Building Syndrome.” The air inside any given building may be as much as 100 times dirtier than it is outside. Office workers are exposed to all sorts of unhealthy chemicals, with pollutants in air conditioning, toxic particles, mold, harmful bacteria and more floating around buildings that aren’t well-maintained.
While you probably can’t immediately give notice that you’re quitting your desk job, you may want to speak with HR or your boss about the company incorporating one of the best employee wellness programs that are available today to help lessen the damage.
Do you work in an office or have a desk job?
How has sitting all day affected your health and wellness?
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