One way to destroy your health and the worst thing to do to your body is not doing anything at all. Sedentary lifestyles are starting to cause as many deaths as smoking.
A number of things happen to the body when you continuously live with an inactive lifestyle.
- Immune system weakens
- Metabolism becomes slower as the body has more trouble breaking down sugar and fats
- Endurance and muscle strength decreases
- You are more likely to gain weight as you burn fewer calories
- More inflammation in the body
- Hormonal imbalance
- Poor blood circulation
A sedentary lifestyle comes with several health risks and may be the cause of some chronic diseases. Here are worrying side effects of being inactive that might have you itching for some exercise immediately!
Mental Health
People living a sedentary lifestyle have a higher risk of moderate psychological distress, increased anxiety, and depression. Working out allows your body to produce “feel-good” hormones called endorphins. This is why moderate-to-vigorous activities are essential for both your physical and mental health.
Type 2 Diabetes
To avoid Type 2 diabetes, you will need consistent exercises to reduce unhealthy cholesterol and raise healthy cholesterol levels in your body. Staying inactive can spike up your insulin levels which can lead to this disease. Be sure to consistently stay active to lower your blood sugar and boost your insulin sensitivity, this will help manage diabetes.
Cardiovascular Health
A sedentary lifestyle is linked to increased blood pressure among people of all ages. The flow of blood in the lower part of the body may stagnate and slow down when you are inactive. This may form blood clots and travel to your lung and heart regions. Light to vigorous activity can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Back Ache and Osteoporosis
Slouching for an extended period of time can increase pressure on the disks of your back, especially on the lower part. This causes disk degeneration and leads to back pain. Over time, when you have a sedentary lifestyle and don’t spend more time standing, the lower-leg and pelvis become prone to osteoporosis. Weight training, stretching, and standing are great ways to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Cancer Risk Skyrockets
Higher levels of fats can skyrocket your cancer risk. Inactive people have a higher risk of getting lung cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer. This is because chronic inflammation can attack your body’s healthy cells, which eventually may lead to cancer-causing DNA. Also, too much fat cells can produce hormones that cause cells to grow and divide rapidly.
Weight Gain
Of course, not moving at all, being a couch potato, or simply having an inactive lifestyle will prevent you from burning calories. Sitting for long periods, and eating more calories than you burn, will definitely cause you to gain extra pounds. Over time, this creates more fat cells to develop all over the body and expand. What’s worse is when fats start to accumulate in stubborn areas like on the lower abdomen, face, and neck.
Fats in stubborn areas may be hard to get rid of. But for areas such as the chin and cheeks, non-invasive treatments are now being offered to quickly and effectively get rid of double chins and cheek fat. One of these treatments is High Intensity Focused Ultrasound or HIFU.
Click here for more info about this treatment.
Be sure to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle to avoid these side effects of a sedentary lifestyle. If you’re a busy person, keep track of your diet and incorporate movement into your routine – be it from taking the stairs, walking to the bus station, and such. Just keep moving to stay healthy!
