Busy work days call for confinement in your workstation: your body is slumped on the chair, your eyes are glued to the computer screen, and your mind is on overdrive. Sometimes, even skipping breaks are a must for the busy bee.
However, too much work and no play could lead to stress—both physically and mentally. Being able to juggle so many tasks could make you feel productive, but it won’t be long until you’ll start feeling body pain caused by sitting down all day at your desk. The sedentary lifestyle is not exactly an enjoyable one—read on to find out how to manage this and regain control of your life.
Health Risks of Sitting all Day
- Countless studies have already proven that sitting all day has detrimental effects to our health. Here are some of the most common examples:
- Tight and weakened muscles all over the body – Upper body aches such as back, shoulder and neck pain are mainly caused by bad posture when sitting, especially if you’re not using an ergonomic chair. Sitting all day also weakens your legs and glutes, which affects your balance when doing daily physical activities. Body pains interfere with your work, as you become unable to concentrate while sitting all day.
- Appearance of Varicose veins or worse, Deep Vein Thrombosis – Prolonged sitting everyday causes poor blood circulation in your legs, which then leads to formation of varicose veins or spider veins. Sitting all day may also lead to blood clots or Deep Vein Thrombosis, a medical emergency that happens when the blood flow to other parts of the body is being cut.
- Digestive problems and obesity – Sitting for extended periods of time also causes poor digestion and metabolism due bad posture. When you slouch, your abdominal muscles become compressed, including your digestive tract. Prolonged sitting often leads to weight gain because you burn less calories, particularly in your midsection, which is a dangerous place to store fat.
- Complications such as heart disease and diabetes. Having a sedentary lifestyle causes fatty acid build up in the blood vessels because of the weak ability to process fat. This is why sitting all day increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. Insulin resistance is also one danger of sitting, which causes type-2 diabetes.
Managing the Sedentary Lifestyle through Exercise and Massage
It’s difficult to avoid prolonged sitting in our daily life, especially if our job calls for it. Improve your quality of life by practicing simple exercises that activate your lower body muscles such as glute squeezes. You can also look for workouts that strengthen your core to improve posture.
Another way to relieve the effects of sitting all day is by booking a relaxing massage therapy. Massage helps ease your mind and body from the stress of prolonged sitting at work. There are several types of massage treatments to choose from, such as a Swedish massage for relaxation and a deep tissue massage to treat chronic pain or sports-related injuries.
Massage Therapy Counteracts the Effects of Sitting All Day
Booking a massage treatment with a professional therapist is a great treat for people whose job entails sitting for long hours. During the treatment, the massage therapist will ask you about your problem areas to help you decide on the best type of massage for body pain.
Different types of massage have positive effects on the body, including:
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- Improvement of blood flow to treat chronic back pain and muscle tension through a deep tissue massage.
- Reduction of headaches through remedial massage therapy.
- Relaxation of the body and mind through a gentle Swedish massage that also reduces anxiety.
- Injury prevention and treatment through a sports massage.
No matter how busy you are at work, keep in mind that our bodies are designed to be active to maintain good health. Don’t forget to give the same care and attention to your mental health—sitting all day affects our mental state, too. Remember to take a break from work to move your body or pamper yourself with a massage therapy. If you commit to making these simple changes to your sedentary lifestyle, you’ll be on your way to enjoying your daily life once again.
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