Working From Home Could Cause Sitting Disease

Working from home has its benefits.  You don’t have to worry about a stressful commute, you don’t have to wear pants and you have a steady supply of snacks.

But there is one part of remote working that isn’t great.

Sitting inside all day attached to your laptop could increase harmful effects when sitting for long periods of time.

You could be at risk of sitting disease.  This is when spending a long time sitting down causes increased levels of inactivity.  It can cause early death in some cases.

Human beings are designed to move, but increasing technological advances have created a number of problems we couldn’t possibly have predicted.

Over the years, new inventions have made humans lazier with things like washing machines, cars, and computers. But the last few decades have really added to the negative impacts of sitting down as lifestyles become more stationary.

For example, instead of seeing people in person, for either personal or business reasons, telecommunications means we rarely need to leave our homes. Instead of going out to collect food, people are able to deliver directly to our door.

Now add a global pandemic into the mix, forcing people to stay home.

This has made it even more important to understand what impact sitting may have on our lives and our futures.

Sitting Disease has been directly linked to the development of other diseases, as well as being linked to premature death.

Sitting down for too long slows the metabolism and this can lead to obesity, raised sugar levels, increased blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Sitting for 6 hours a day or more can significantly impact your health negatively. 

Research from the Health Survey for England in 2012 showed that 30% of adults spent 6 hours or more a day sitting during the week, and an even higher percentage (37%) on the weekends.

To combat sitting disease, experts suggest 150 minutes of exercise a week.