7 Sedentary Life Diseases – Prevention is Mandatory

By The Captain July 6, 2020

2. Depression, more common among sedentary people

If you suffer from depression, anxiety or move quickly from one mood to another, sedentary lifestyle may be related to this. An Australian study of 3,300 employees found that people who sat in the office for more than six hours were 90% more likely to feel more stressed at work. Nervousness, anxiety, depression or fatigue are more common among those with a sedentary job than among people who stay at the office for only three hours a day.

This does not mean that you should change your job to combat these effects, but just ensure you have more movement in your day. When you do sports, your body secretes endorphins that improve your mood. In addition, cardio exercises are just as effective in fighting depression as antidepressants.

3. Increased risk of cancer

In a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers report that people who spend more hours of the day sitting have up to a 66% higher risk of developing certain types of cancer than those who aren’t as sedentary.

Analysing a total of 43 studies that were performed on a sample of over 4 million people we discovered that sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of several cancers. Thus, research shows a 24% increase in the risk of colon cancer, 32% in endometrial cancer (a type of cancer that begins in the uterus) and 21% in lung cancer. The analysis took into account not only the time spent by participants on a chair at work, but also how they spend their free time (how many hours they spend on the couch or in bed, in front of the TV).

An explanation for these results is given by the fact that when we spend a lot of time in front of the TV we tend to eat snacks or consume drinks that increase the risk of cancer.

4. Osteoporosis

Activities that involve your own weight such as standing, walking and running, stimulate the pelvic and lower body bones to grow denser and stronger. Researchers at the University of Glasgow believe that because of sedentary lifestyle, osteoporosis has begun to affect more and more young people. Among the early symptoms that should worry you are: