The most common problem faced by working people today is that they remain seated all day long due to their workload. From arriving at the office in the morning until returning home in the evening, many people spend 8 to 9 hours sitting continuously. But not everyone is aware of the impact this prolonged sitting has on their health.
Several studies have shown that prolonged sitting is as harmful to the body as smoking or obesity. This is why doctors and fitness experts now advise office workers to get up and move around frequently.
Speaking of the problems caused by prolonged sitting, prolonged sitting can lead to various problems, such as back and neck pain. Sitting for long periods of time puts constant pressure on the spine. Additionally, shoulders begin to slouch, and back posture deteriorates. Research has also found that people who sit for more than eight hours a day have a significantly increased risk of heart disease. Obesity, diabetes, and cholesterol can also be a risk factor, as it is believed that prolonged sitting significantly reduces the body’s ability to burn calories.
This raises the question, “What should one do in such a situation?” Experts advise that the effects can be significantly reduced by simply doing some simple exercises while sitting in a chair. For example, one should stand up and walk for a few minutes every half an hour or so. Furthermore, one should slowly move the neck left and right, up and down while sitting in a chair; this helps reduce neck stiffness.
Small exercises like straightening the legs and raising them, moving the ankles up and down and rotating the wrists can also be done easily while sitting on a chair. Apart from this, slightly turning the waist to the right and left while sitting, i.e. doing chair twists, gives relief to the back and makes the body feel light.