Sitting too much at work? It's slowly killing you

There's a devil in your office and it isn't in the nasty vending machine chatter, that project deadline or gruesome work meetings ahead of you. Instead, it's lurking in your chair. That's right! Sitting has been termed as the number one lifestyle disease in 2015, and this year, too. Not only has it been shown to take years of our lives, but also hurt the body in more ways than one. So, if you're a chair-potato, sit up and take heed...

WATCH OUT! SITTING IS JUST LIKE SMOKING

Face it. We park ourselves on the chair way too much. After those meetings, pending tasks and eating at lunch, we then get home and commence another round of sitting, either at the dining table or in front of the TV. Research has pointed out how sitting is 'the new smoking'. Thus if you find yourself hunched over that presentation for hours, it's going to cost you. Such inactivity raises obesity risk, causes muscle stiffness, bone deterioration, heart disease, vein-thrombosis and more. And since anyone can fit into the category everyone is at risk.

HOW IT CAUSES HARM

Makes you overweight: Those who grapple with sedentary jobs are weightier than those who do not, say studies. Sitting also accumulates the storage of fat.

Increases heart attack risk: Studies have sounded the alarm over how those who spend the major part of the day glued to the chair are at 54 per cent greater risk of getting a heart attack.
Causes diabetes: Excessive sitting can also spike glucose levels and is a potential trigger for diabetes.
Deteriorates spine: One of the worst effects of over sitting is its impact on the back. It can create acute back pain and lead to bad spine health, owing to muscle tightness from sitting in one position.
Muscle degeneration and spondylitis: Feel that acute neck and shoulder pain after a long workday at the desk? You might be to prone developing ankylosing spondylitis, which is a type of arthritis that affects the spine. It can cause chronic inflammation, soreness and stiffness. It also causes poor posture.
Affects mental health: Those who sit for long are also cut off emotionally from others. Inactivity reduces motivation levels and can leave you feeling dull and listless.

EXERCISE CAN SAVE YOU
Cutting back on the time you spend sitting may not be easy due to work responsibilities, but there are ways to work around it...

• Go ahead, do some desk-ercise: Take a break at least twice a day and do stretching exercises. Extend your arms outwards and bend sideways. Hold and release. You can also do shoulder shrugs and rolls as well as lunges by the desk. You can also have an office group spin sessions for half an hour in the day where people can do an endurance workout together.
• Take a lunch hour stroll: Simply get out of the chair and get moving. Take a walk around the block during lunch time or if you are heading downstairs, climb up or down using the stairs. This is said to make a difference in glucose levels, lipids and body mass index.
• Try a walking meeting: Pack a pair of slip-ons to the office, for the new fad is to do a walking meeting. Several companies, even in Mumbai, are resorting to taking the daily meeting out on the terrace on in a park. Not only does this burn calories, but the exercise builds adrenaline and circulation and adds to the bonhomie. We like!
• Sit-stand offices: Several companies in the West have adapted a sit-stand workstation, where employees are encouraged to stand more than sit. Being on the feet this way is said to prevent clots and joint aches that are known to occur during sedentary periods. This transition from completely sitting is also said to eliminate musculoskeletal pain.

Popular in places like the Silicon Valley, stand-up desks or treadmill desks are now catching on. A gadget where you have a desk that is tweaked to accommodate a treadmill, this allows the user to walk while doing tasks. The desk is said to boost productivity, allow you to focus, leaving you feeling invigorated.