We keep hearing that sitting too much can shorten your lifespan, but is sitting all day really that bad for you? With so many of us stuck at desk jobs, it’s an important question to answer. Unfortunately, sitting for prolonged periods of time does have negative effects on your body. The good news is, you can do something about it! 

Sitting for a bit won’t hurt you. The problem arises when you frequently sit for long periods of time without getting up to move. Studies have shown that the least health risks associated with sitting at a desk all day are attributed to getting up and moving every half hour- even if you just stand up and walk around your office. Why is getting up and moving frequently so important? Well, besides the back problems that come from sitting (which is often what people notice first), there are a host of other issues associated with sitting for long periods of time, day in and day out. Some health concerns associated with sitting too much are: 

• Increased risk of heart disease- The more you sit, the more likely you are to be at risk of a heart attack. This isn’t just because of lack of activity (a sedentary lifestyle increases your risk in general). Sitting affects your body’s sugar regulation and blood pressure because it alters the functioning of your blood vessels. 
• Vascular problems- Do your feet or lower legs swell when you’ve been sitting for too long? This is likely due to fluid pooling up in those areas due to lack of movement (which is why some people wear compression socks when flying). What’s the risk? Besides the discomfort of achy and swollen feet and lower legs, deep vein thrombosis can occur, and the blood clots that form have the potential to travel to your lungs. Getting up and moving around decreases your DVT risk and will help reduce the swelling and relieve aching. 
• Obesity and general weight gain– A sedentary lifestyles increase your risk of obesity and is correlated with more weight gain. Sitting all day makes it even harder to lose weight as well, as long periods of sitting can lower your metabolism. 
• Increased risk of type 2 diabetes- Speaking of blood sugar regulation, a sedentary lifestyle increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Sitting all day makes it harder for your body to regulate blood sugar, increasing risk.
• Increased risk of cancer- Although the exact mechanism is unknown, research has shown that people who sit more are more likely to develop certain cancers. Living a sedentary lifestyle increases your risk as well, so sitting all day and living a sedentary lifestyle are compounding factors when you look at cancer risk. Inflammation may be part of the cause of this increased risk, although more research needs to be done.
• Spine issues, back pain, and poor posture-  Sitting puts increased pressure on your spine and hips. This increased pressure causes pain that worsens over time. In addition, your hips suffer further due to tight hip flexors, which causes further pain and reduced mobility. Your shoulders suffer, too, because you rarely have good posture when you sit for long periods. Your glutes are affected as well. Over time, sitting can cause something called “gluteal amnesia” due to long periods of inactivity, which causes your body to “forget” how to activate your glutes. In addition, inactivity leads to lower bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis as we age. 

Ok, now we know what damage can be done by frequent, prolonged periods of sitting. The question now is- What can we do about it? Apart from finding a job that doesn’t have you sitting at a desk all day (which is impossible for most of us), there’s a lot you can do to reduce your risk of developing problems related to too much sitting. 

• Set aside time for exercise. This is the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of problems related to sitting too frequently- you can lower your risk of all of the issues listed above with regular exercise. We don’t have to tell you how many benefits exercise provides (and check out our other blog posts if you are curious about all of the other mental and physical health benefits of regular exercise; some of them might surprise you!). 
• Take more walks. Even a short five-minute walk is helpful, but slightly longer walks are better! If you’re at work, find a buddy to walk with and make it fun! Walking is good for your back and hips (and everything else). 
• Stretch more often. Even getting up for a few seconds and doing some quick stretches is helpful for circulation, mobility, and back pain. Plus, movement is movement, even gentle movements like stretching. 
• Take breaks from sitting, preferably every half an hour. Pretty obvious, right? The problem for a lot of people is remembering to take breaks. It’s easy to get lost in your work and realize that two hours have passed without standing and moving around. There are a lot of little hacks you can do to increase your probability of remembering or tricking yourself to get up and move. You can set an alarm on your phone or computer (or smartwatch) to remind yourself to get up every half an hour to move. If that doesn’t work (or gets too annoying), try bringing smaller water bottles so you have to get up more frequently to fill it up, opt to walk over to a coworker’s desk instead of sending an email, or track your steps and check frequently to make sure that you are getting enough movement! 

• Invest in a sit-to-stand desk. Standing desks are great, but realistically, most people don’t want to stand all day. A desk that converts to a standing desk is a great option because you can stand most of the day and sit when your feet get sore, you need a break in general or are doing something that is more difficult when standing. Can’t get a standing desk? Move your computer to a high counter for a little while. If you have a hands-free headset, you can also get up and move while on the phone!
• Regarding back pain, getting an ergonomic desk chair is a great idea, but if you can’t do that, adding a lumbar pillow is helpful as it helps align your spine. It will improve your posture and help relieve back pain! 
• And, of course, get regular check-ups and let your doctor know if you develop any new or worsening symptoms.