YOU AND YOUR HEALTH

Picture credit: Fitandheal 

A sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle type in which little to or no physical activity and exercise is done, as opposed to an active lifestyle. 

A person living a sedentary lifestyle is often sitting or lying down while engaged in an activity like socializing, watching television, playing video games, reading or using a mobile phone/computer for much of the day. 

A sedentary lifestyle contributes to poor health quality and many preventable causes of death and diseases.

Sitting time is a common measure of a sedentary lifestyle. A global review representing 47% of the global adult population found that the average person sits down for 4.7 - 6.5 hours per day with the number going up every year.

Screen time is a term for the amount of time a person spends looking at a screen such as a television, computer monitor, or mobile device. Excessive screen time is linked to negative health consequences.

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A sedentary lifestyle, stress and unhealthy habits have been recognized as the main causes for the ever-increasing cases of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), like obesity, diabetes, cancer, chronic lung and cardiovascular diseases.

Sedentary lifestyles increase all causes of mortality, double the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity, and increase the risks of colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression and anxiety.

SOLUTION TO A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE:

The simple solution is to move your body no matter what you do.

Standing rather than sitting on public transport.

Take a walk, walking to work, taking walks during lunch breaks.

Setting reminders to stand up every 30 minutes when working at a desk.

Investing in a standing desk or asking the workplace to provide one.

Reference: Medical News Today, Wikipedia.