How Your Body Can Suffer From Sitting Too Long

Whether you have an office job and are sitting for 8 hours a day or the relaxation of fall fever has stricken you and you haven’t gotten out much – sitting for too long can affect your body in a bad way. Our health clinics at the Lake of the Ozarks are here to help make you aware of how sitting too long can have a damaging effect on certain parts of your body. For a health provider at the Lake of the Ozarks, you can count on, call Central Ozarks Medical Center today.

How Your Body Can Suffer From Sitting Too Long

Neck

The problems with slouching do not stop at the back. Hunching forward requires your neck to strain upwards in order for you to look straight ahead (at your computer screen, for example). A prolonged strain on the cervical vertebrae in this manner can take a serious toll on the body and may result in several problems, including headaches.

Abdomen & Back

Standing or sitting upright requires your core abdominal muscles to work. However, if you’re like most people, you relax into a comfortable slouch when you sit down. Slouching doesn’t require any effort from your abdominal muscles, and as such they may become weak and atrophied overtime. Consistent slouching also causes numerous back problems.

Brain

As blood flows more slowly, so does the transportation of oxygen and various important chemicals. All aspects of the body can be affected, including the brain. Sitting for several hours may cause your brain to become foggy and sluggish. If you’ve ever felt “brain dead” and resorted to a quick walk to clear your mind, then you probably know exactly what we’re talking about.

Heart

When you sit, your muscles burn less fat and your blood flows more slowly. This makes it easier for fatty acids to build up in your heart, which can significantly increase your chances of developing heart disease.

Pancreas

Not long ago, we discussed how the pancreas produces insulin – a hormone that enables the body to break down the glucose in the blood and transform it into usable energy. Sitting for prolonged periods of time can cause the body to produce too much insulin, and when there is an excess amount of a certain hormone, the body begins to ignore its signals. Excess insulin may hinder the body’s ability to convert blood sugar into usable energy, which can contribute to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Stand Up and Be Healthy with Central Ozarks Medical Center

Our mission is to increase access to comprehensive primary and preventative health care and to improve the healthcare status of underserved and vulnerable populations in Camden, Laclede, Miller, and Pulaski Counties. Our belief is that it is not just what we do here at Central Ozarks Medical Center, but how we do it that makes all the difference. For more information on our services, please visit our website at www.CentralOzarks.org.

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