Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic says, "Sitting is the new smoking" and there's a reason why he said it. Sitting, a sedentary life is linked to weight problems and also poses greater risks of heart diseases and cancer.
The Mayo Clinic studied the sitting habits of 800,000 people in a 15-year time period.
In a study published by Mayo Clinic, the findings showed that people who constantly sat in front of a screen for more than four hours increase their risk of death by any cause up to 50 percent. This may include greater risks for chest pain, heart attack and similar ailments.
"The solution seems to be less sitting and more moving overall," said Levine.
"Traffic has become unpredictable. People are entertained nowadays sitting behind a computer, doing Facebook, playing video games or watching television," he added. "Children are losing their regular movement patterns, unlike the normal healthy development from running, doing the monkey bars, playing basketball or football. We are seeing a lot more back pain, headaches and conditions of postural dysfunction."
In addition, an American teaching expert and kinesiologist Dr. Scott Cuthbert said that gravity is not a friend when sitting. In fact, this causes disorientation of the joints all over the body. Moreover, he said that a lack of physical exercise results to chronic illness, adding that people who age 65 years old and above can't lift their arm because of the deconditioned joints.
Hence, the doctors obliged people to try out different activities which involves not just sitting but as well as standing, exercising, walking and other locomotors exercises.
