Anything in excess is bad. It’s like eating, necessary, but dangerous if you do too much. Modern society has been engineered to sit. People sit when they work, socialize, study or travel. Here we explore why too much sitting is so bad for your health.

What are the risks of sitting too much?

Weak Legs and Muscles

When you sit for long periods of time, you don’t rely on strong lower body muscles to hold you up which causes muscle atrophy. Muscle atrophy is muscle weakness and your lower body is at risk for injury without having strong leg and glute muscles to stabilize you.

Gain Weight

Sedentary behaviors, such as sitting or lying down, involve less energy expenditure. This limits the calories you burn. When it comes to weight management, the fewer calories you burn, the more likely you are to gain weight.

Hips and Back feel tight

Sitting too long will also affect your hips and back. Sitting will shorten your hip flexors and your back will also be hurt by your sitting position. If you have poor sitting posture, it will cause compression of the discs in your spine and will cause premature degeneration, resulting in chronic pain.

Stiff Shoulders and Neck

Sitting too long will also affect your shoulders and neck. The situation will be more serious if you bend down to look at the computer screen.

Varicose Veins

Sitting for too long will cause blood to collect in the legs which can lead to varicose veins. While varicose veins are not harmful in themselves, these swollen, visible veins can be unsightly. Varicose veins can also cause blood clots in some extreme cases.