A sedentary lifestyle has been in the spotlight in recent years. The development of technology and pandemic conditions due to Covid-19 have increased the risk of a person experiencing a sedentary lifestyle. What exactly is a sedentary lifestyle and its dangers to health? Find out in the following review.

What is a Sedentary Lifestyle?

A sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle in which a person does minimal physical activity or moves their body. Examples of sedentary lifestyles that often go unnoticed are lingering in front of a laptop, lying down watching television, playing on cellphones all day, and not exercising.

Many people do not realize that they are living a sedentary lifestyle. The ease of technology allows you to do many things through cell phones and the internet without realizing it, making you rarely do physical activities. Although this lifestyle provides comfort, it actually holds various health risks.

Health Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle

A study in 2010 mentioned that a sedentary lifestyle and a habit of sitting more than 10 hours a day can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (conditions like heart attacks or strokes). A sedentary lifestyle can also increase the risk of diabetes (a condition where the body struggles to regulate blood sugar) and other obesity-related diseases.

Increased risk of obesity

A sedentary lifestyle is often associated with the risk of obesity. When a person is sedentary, the energy left over from food can be stored as fat reserves in the body. If the fat is not used for activity, then excess fat will accumulate, causing obesity.

Increased risk of diabetes

Apart from increasing the risk of obesity, a sedentary lifestyle can also increase the risk of metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. The body's metabolism can change, increasing the risk factors for insulin resistance (when the body’s cells don’t respond well to insulin, making blood sugar harder to control).

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Increased risk of heart disease

Another danger of a sedentary lifestyle is the increased risk of developing heart disease. Lack of exercise puts a person at risk of fatty plaque buildup in the blood vessels. Over time, as the fatty plaque builds up, a person can experience heart attacks and coronary heart disease (when the blood vessels supplying the heart become blocked or narrowed).

Increased risk of mental health disorders

A sedentary lifestyle also has a negative impact on mental health. A study conducted on 10,381 respondents showed that people who are less active are more at risk of mental health disorders (such as depression or anxiety). Recent research on 110,152 respondents revealed that people with sedentary lifestyles have a higher risk of depression.

How to Overcome a Sedentary Lifestyle

Many people do not realize the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle. The reason is that the side effects of this sedentary lifestyle are only visible when symptoms such as high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, or excess weight appear.

For those of you who are unwittingly living an inactive lifestyle, here are some ways you can try to increase physical activity:

Get more walks

You can increase your physical activity by walking. Walking is a sport that is easy for anyone to do and does not require a lot of equipment. Apart from walking, you can also increase physical activity by going up and down stairs.

Engage in physical activities

Doing physical activity does not always mean doing sports activities. Cleaning the house, gardening, washing dishes, and other household activities are also physical activities.

Numerous studies have linked a sedentary lifestyle with serious health risks. To reduce the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle, you can increase the amount and duration of physical activity in the form of exercise and other activities.

If you need medical advice or a consultation, you can visit a doctor or use the consultation features available in the Ai Care application by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store.

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