Sedentary lifestyle: Take up household chores to beat ill effects of sedentary lifestyle
Highlights
- Do stretching, turning and bending regularly
- Try to walk as much as possible
- Try completing tasks on your own instead of doing everything online
How often have you heard about sedentary lifestyle but not really understood what it is exactly? Fret not as we are here to tell you the exact meaning of sedentary lifestyle and how the habit it includes can cause more harm than you can imagine. Sedentary lifestyle is essentially about spending most of your time sitting. If you are at an 8-hour desk job, spend most of the time sitting on the couch in front of TV after your job, order food and complete nearly every other errand through apps on your phone, you have a sedentary lifestyle - which can also be termed as the sitting disease - which can put you at risk of several diseases.
Fortunately, sedentary lifestyle is a disease that you can very treat yourself. All you need to do is make efforts towards moving more and sitting less. And if a new study is to be believed, spending more time in standing can increase energy expenditure and in fact combat sedentary lifestyle effects. The study also found that people burn around 45 kilocalories over a period of six-hours while standing as compared to lying or sitting.
Standing can help combat sedentary lifestyle effects and may even help in burning some calories
Photo Credit: iStock
Also read: 7 Dangerous Effects Of Being Physically Inactive
Sedentary lifestyle effects you must know
Research has shown that sedentary lifestyle or long periods of physical inactivity can increase risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
It is important to understand that human beings are designed to move and not to sit in one place. Physical inactivity for long periods of time is like entrapping yourself to laziness.
Following are some effective sedentary lifestyle solutions:
1. Do, stretching, turning and bending
Non-exercise thermogenesis or NEAT includes bending, stretching and turning. Practice it for a minimum of 10 minutes every day to combat sedentary lifestyle effects.
2. Move more at work
This might come as strange but there are small steps that you can take in order to move more and sit less. Going for a walk after lunch time, taking the stairs instead of elevator, stand up straight on both your feet instead of leaning towards a wall or any other support. According to celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, you should try to stand up straight for 3 minutes for every 30 minutes of sitting.
Also read: 7 Lifestyle Choices You Didn't Know Were Harming Your Immunity: Know Them Now
3. Go old-school
Do you miss the joys of grocery shopping in an actual retail shop? Then this tip is going to help you combat sedentary lifestyle effects. Try to do things real-time instead online. Before shooting an email to someone, think if the same information can be delivered in person. Going old school and doing all your tasks on your own can help you achieving the goal of moving more and sitting less.
4. Try to walk wherever possible
Rujuta has mentioned it on social media that an effective way to beat sedentary lifestyle effects is by parking your vehicle at a distance from your work place or opting for public transport for commuting. Try to walk the way to your office and it can make up for much-needed physical activity in your super busy lifestyle.
Walk whenever possible to be ill effects of sedentary lifestyle
Photo Credit: iStock
Also read: Is Walking An Exercise? Celeb Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar Has The Perfect Reply!
5. Do household chores on your own
Assign your domestic help with better, more productive tasks and try to do your household chores on your own as an effective sedentary lifestyle solution. Cleaning, wiping, sweeping, mopping, dusting, etc are all activities that can help be on-the-move. Not only will it enable you to move more, it will also impart the positivity that has been associated with tidying and cleaning up.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.