Table of contents:
- What is a sedentary lifestyle?
- Sedentari lifestyle is one of the leading causes of death
- Various health hazards due to laziness
- 1. Concentration decreases
- 2. Increase the risk of stroke and heart attack
- 3. Impaired cognitive function
- 4. Causes insulin resistance
- 5. Trigger osteoporosis
- An easy way to force the body to move more
You may be reading this writing while relaxing in your seat or lying on the bed. Maybe you've been sitting or lying down since a few hours ago. Try to remember, when did you get up from your seat and do some physical activity? If you have trouble remembering it, it could be that you are one of the hundreds of millions of people in the world who live a sedentary lifestyle or are often called lazy to move (mager) .
What is a sedentary lifestyle?
Sedentari lifestyle is a pattern of human behavior with minimal physical activity or movement. Usually those who live a sedentary lifestyle are office workers who sit at work tables most of the day. The trip to work from home is usually taken by public or private transportation, which means you will also be sitting along the way. Arriving at home after working all day, many office workers will immediately rest on the sofa, mattress, or easy chair to unwind.
If you often use services to purchase goods, food, or services on line , whatever you need will be delivered right to your doorstep. In addition, many people today choose to access banking services on line, for example, to transfer money or pay bills . Meanwhile, in ancient times, people had to walk out of the house to complete these various affairs. This is why the younger generation is often labeled as lazy to move.
Sedentari lifestyle is one of the leading causes of death
Lazy motion is a habit that needs to be changed. However, for some people this habit has become part of their daily routine so that they already feel comfortable. You may not feel the risks from your lifestyle immediately. The impact of your current lifestyle will only start to feel for years after you get used to this routine.
According to the World Health Organization or WHO, sedentary lifestyle is one of the top 10 causes of death in the world. In addition, data reported by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) in 2008 showed that there were twice as many deaths due to indolence as deaths due to obesity. If your sedentary lifestyle is followed by an unbalanced diet and unhealthy habits such as smoking or drinking alcohol, you are at risk for more health problems.
Various health hazards due to laziness
Although sometimes not realized, most of the day sitting and not moving around has a direct impact on your health. Here are the various risks that you should watch out for if you are a lazy person.
1. Concentration decreases
When you work sitting down, your spine will become tense from bending or bending it for too long. Therefore, your lungs will not get enough room to expand large enough. If your lungs are squeezed, your entire body will receive less oxygen, especially since circulation will also be impaired if you don't move enough. Lack of oxygen received by the brain can cause a decrease in concentration. Work becomes more difficult if you don't focus.
2. Increase the risk of stroke and heart attack
A study conducted by the Aerobics Research Center in the United States shows that physical activity can reduce the risk of stroke in men by up to 60%. Another study published in the Nurses' Health Study shows that women who are sedentary or physically active have a 50% chance of avoiding strokes and heart attacks. So, those of you who are too often sitting at work or lazing around in front of a computer screen have a large enough risk of having a stroke.
3. Impaired cognitive function
Those of you who live a sedentary lifestyle or are lazy to move around tend to experience various cognitive impairments in the long term. Lack of physical activity causes decreased brain function. Physical activity is able to stimulate the flow of oxygen-filled blood to the brain and repair cells and brain tissue that are beginning to be damaged. Moving and exercising will also grow new nerve cells in the brain. This makes the brain sharper and memory stronger.
4. Causes insulin resistance
If you spend about 70% of your day sitting and lying down, you are at risk of developing insulin resistance. This condition causes an increase in blood sugar levels so that your chances of developing diabetes also increase. Moreover, usually while sitting or lying down, people tend to look for unhealthy snacks. These snacks can be very high in sugar, such as ice cream, candy, chocolate, or sweet packaged drinks.
5. Trigger osteoporosis
The human body has been designed in such a way as to continue to move actively in order to survive. Your muscles and bones need to be trained every day to stay healthy and strong. Lazy movement habits will make you lose muscle mass. Bone density will also be drastically reduced. If left untreated, this condition will lead to osteoporosis. As a result, doing daily activities becomes more difficult because you become weaker and tire quickly.
An easy way to force the body to move more
You can avoid the risks caused by lazy movement by increasing your daily physical activity. Check out various tricks so that you can still meet your daily bodily needs, even if you have to work at a computer screen.
- Search standing desk or a table high enough to allow you to work standing up when you sit in a chair
- While looking for ideas or inspiration at work, you can walk around the office building or around your desk for a few minutes
- If you are taking public transportation such as a train or bus, try to stand up rather than sit the whole way
- Park the vehicle or get off from public transportation at a stop that is farther than usual, then walk to the office on foot
- Instead of ordering things at the store on line, go and hunt for the items you are looking for in the shopping mall
- Take the time to exercise for an hour every day, either in the morning or after work
- Cleaning the house can be quite a physical activity, such as sweeping, mopping floors, or washing clothes by hand