Why A Sedentary Lifestyle Is Bad for Your Mental Health

How Bad is a Sedentary Lifestyle?

A sedentary lifestyle is a type of lifestyle where an individual participates in little to no physical activities. The person living in such a way is colloquially referred to as a couch potato, and they may normally find themselves feeling lethargic even having done nothing much for the day. The individual is also often characterized by sitting or lying down for long periods of time, playing video games obsessively, overusing mobile phones and computers, or excessively watching television for hours on end.  How bad is a sedentary lifestyle? This lifestyle can contribute to a lot of health hazards including mental illnesses, obesity, heart conditions, and even cancer.

Despite the well-established emotional and physical benefits related to participation of moderate physical activities, most people are not utilizing these valuable life-sustaining opportunities that reduce various illnesses.

Major Cause of Sedentary Activities

As compared to 50 years ago, there has now been an increase in sedentary jobs. The major contributing factor is technological advancement, which has paved the way for the sedentary lifestyle. Technology has brought about a significant number of changes in the workplace, with an increase in desk jobs where most of the activities can be done while seated.

Health Effects of Sedentary Activities on Mental Health

According to research done by an Australian University, it was found that a sedentary lifestyle can not only cause somatic effects but may also severely impair mental health. Another research done by Deakin University Center for Nutrition Research proved that a sedentary lifestyle could exacerbate anxiety in a person.

• Spending too much time seated is associated with a high risk of psychological distress and schizophrenia. However, among obese adults, participating in moderate to vigorous activities has been associated with minimal risk of depression.
• Adults over 60 years old who avoid sedentary behaviors have a reduced risk of dementia.
• Studies also prove that there is a 31% increase in the development of bipolar mental disorder among the adults who engaged in more than 42 hours of TV watching or computer use in a week.

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Although other factors such as pollution and technology do contribute to poor mental health, medical scientists have managed to establish a direct link between anxiety and an increase in sedentary behaviors.

Health Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle

A basic law of physics states, “A body in motion tends to stay in motion, a body at rest tends to stay at rest.” Our modern conveniences have altered human behavior in more ways than anyone could have predicted. While convenience and comfort have certainly increased, the toll on human health is far worse than many realize. A sedentary lifestyle is crippling. As our lives become more convenient, they also become dangerously sedentary. Obesity is not the only problem that might occur from inactivity. A multitude of health complications also occurs when our muscles are not used.

Muscle Mass: Use it or Lose It

If you do not use a muscle, it will atrophy, or waste away. If you exercise, you develop muscle tissues and maintain your weight. If you stop exercising and continue to indulge in a fast food diet, the muscles will atrophy and your body will begin to store the excess calories as fat.

Put Your Heart into Your Efforts toward Good Health

Like a muscle, your heart also requires activity in the form of increased demand for blood. If you run around the block or use vibration equipment, your circulation will increase. Failing to take care of your heart, by living a sedentary life, can lead to coronary artery disease, stroke, and hypertension.

Again, movement and activity are the keys. Sitting still can literally kill you if you do it too much or for too long. Inactivity increases your body mass or the ratio of fat to muscle within your body. Even simple, regular movement and muscle stimulation can provide your heart and other muscles with much-needed activity.

Other Health Risks of a Sedentary Life

Inactivity can lead to breast cancer, colon cancer, osteoporosis, and Type 2 diabetes, among many other illnesses. World Health Organization (WHO) statistics claim sedentary living will cause 17 million deaths due to cardiovascular disease and that diabetes death will increase by 50% in 10 years unless changes are made. This can be avoided with whole-body vibration and a healthy diet.

Current WHO projections tell us that one out of every three human beings is overweight and that one out of every ten is obese. These conditions can lead to serious health risks and death. Luckily, being obese or overweight is preventable and treatable, as are atrophied muscles.

Take away:

Summary, one of the solutions to better mental health is obvious: we should start moving more often! Therefore, take the stairs whenever you can. Stand up and take a brisk walk around the office every hour if you have a sedentary desk job. Seek opportunities that will add more movements and physical activities into your day.

Regular exercise will help to restore your good health. Basic changes in eating habits, such as drinking more water and eliminating fats, sugars, and highly processed foods will bring measurable results. In addition to dietary changes, individuals must participate in some kind of moderately intense physical activity for at least 30 minutes on most days.

Read Next: Is Sitting Down Unhealthy?

To Your Prosperity!