Medically reviewed by Dr. Riaz Ali Shah.
There are many things that make the millennials way different from other generations, but the one thing that makes them stand out is their love for sitting. If sitting at their workplace isn’t enough, they go back home and make sure they are a couch potato for the next 3 hours watching TV and playing video games. It’s all fun and games till you become lethargic and can’t seem to find a cause. Not only that, excessive sitting can put a negative impact on your overall health as well. To find out what happens when you are a lazy bum, please follow suit!
You’ll soon turn into a potato
If you are a couch lover who likes to sit and watch TV at hours on end, then don’t be so shocked when the weighing machine soon starts screaming at you! Not just that, when you start gaining weight, the chances of acquiring other systemic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes increase as well.
Your back will go out more than you do
Sitting at a desk, behind the wheel or in front the screen for extended periods can cause a lot of back problems. Your posture will become slouchy and cause your back to hurt really badly. So, put a cushion on your chair to rest your back on and make sure you are sitting straight.
But, no matter how comfortable you get, your back will never like long sittings. Therefore, remember to take a walk or stand up every hour.
Your legs will have a natural spider web tattoo
When you are sitting all day long, the blood is pooling down in your legs. Eventually, this will put an added pressure in your veins, causing them to swell, twist, turn and bulge out. Doctors call them varicose veins. Other than that, you may also notice reddish purple veins that look like a spider web. These are clusters of tiny blood vessels that appear on the surface of the skin.
Although nothing serious, they can ache really badly and can considerably lower down the quality of your life.
Your veins will start clogging
The major risk factor of prolonged sitting is the formation of a clot inside the veins of your legs. The medical term for this condition is deep vein thrombosis and it may or may not present with swelling or pain. If not taken care of at the right time, the clot can break off and lodge inside your lungs, making it an even bigger problem.
You can have your first heart break
Well, obviously if you are a couch potato who has also turned into a potato, the risks of acquiring heart diseases has increased tenfold. As soon as your heart reaches the point where it can’t take the carelessness anymore, bam! Heart attack!
So, get up, exercise and give your body the endorphins that it needs.
Your brain will start playing memory games
According to a study at the University of California, LA, sedentary behavior is directly linked to the thinning of the area of the brain associated with formation of new memories. Overtime, this can also put one at a risk of dementia. Now, do you know why the youngsters of our time are so forgetful?
The Bottom Line
People of the modern society spend way too much time sitting, which although relaxing, is just as harmful. Apart from that, if you are spending long hours exercising but are sitting even longer, the exercise will not even be as beneficial. Therefore, if you have a desk job, make sure that you’re taking short walk breaks on workdays, and decide to do something that doesn’t involve sitting on weekends.
So, age well by doing one simple thing: be out-standing!
Guest Credits: Dr Maleeha Syed
