We live in an age where we are sedentary. it is a fact of modern living – and it is getting worse. We sit for prolonged period to eat, travel, work, and for entertainment. Most people are glued to their devices for eight to nine hours per day or more, and it’s getting worse. The health effects of sitting are regarded as equal to, or even worse than, the effects of cigarette smoking

In this article we will look at the facts of how and why we as adults spend far too long sitting, and what we can do to lessen the unhealthful effects of such a sedentary lifestyle that adversely impacts so many people in today’s world.

Why do we spend so much time sitting down?

In the early part of the last century, few people had cars, and by necessity had to walk to work and or to get public transportation. In addition, there were no computers available for the public and television was a relatively new form of entertainment. There was little cheap junk food to tempt people to eat unhealthily

In the 1950s, the first studies emerged about the fact that in the UK, bus drivers on double-decker buses were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack as the ticket collectors. The drivers spent 90 per cent of their driving shots being seated, and the ticket collectors would climb more than 600 stairs during their shits. This ground-breaking research was undertaken by Professor Jeremy Morris, whose work uncovered the link between lack of exercise and the prevalence of heart disease.

You probably already are aware of the effect the technological revolution has had on the way we live and work. Whether you work in credit card processing for a company like NorthAmericanBancard.com or work in business marketing and are asked to build a link building package for your company, you will probably spend most of your working day at your desk working at a computer.

Also consider that over 50 percent of today's jobs require some degree of technology skills, and it is estimated that percentage will increase to 77 percent in the next decade.

Clearly our ability to remain active is becoming increasing more challenged.

What can we do to fight the ill-effects of sitting?

The simple answer is to get up out of the chair and move more – but when time is such a problem, it’s more complicated than that.

We are so dependent on our devices that many people find difficult to be away from them

But as Professor Morris found, our lives depend on it – the increase in obesity, leading to heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer (especially in women) has caused an increase in mortality rates across the world.

Try these ways to fight the effects of sitting

1. Standing computer desks. These have become increasing popular, offered by almost 2 out of 5 companies on the USA for their desk workers. There are even desks that have a treadmill, so you can increase your activity by walking whilst you work

2. Compression socks. It’s a good idea to wear these specially designed socks, like these from https://legioncompressionsocks.com/collections/20-30-mmhg which apply gentle pressure to the feet and lower legs, and the squeezing increases the blood flow. In this way they can help people who may have poor circulation, have issues with swelling of the legs and blood clots to create healthier circulation.

3. Set a timer. Try to factor in regular breaks every 20 minutes and then walk around for five minutes and stretch. Set an alarm timer on your device, as it is very easy to lose track of time when you are on a device. there are plenty of timers on apps that can help you stick to the process.

What are your best tips to lessen the effects of sitting? Please share your advice in the comments below.