The Dangers of Sitting At a Desk All Day
by Allie Comeau on December 14, 2009 
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The verdict is in: sitting in a desk chair all day is bad for your health. If you’re one of the millions of Americans that spend your work week in an office chair, you could be in danger from inactivity.
“When you sit for an extended period of time, your body starts to shut down at the metabolic level,” says Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri. “When muscles — especially the big ones meant for movement, like those in your legs — are immobile, your circulation slows and you burn fewer calories. Key flab-burning enzymes responsible for breaking down triglycerides (a type of fat) simply start switching off.”
In addition to your metabolism slowing down, sitting all day also raises your risk for depression, diabetes and even early death. And as your posture suffers, so does your spine health, which can cause lower back pain as well and neck and shoulder pain. “When you sit all day, your hip flexors and hamstrings shorten and tighten, while the muscles that support your spine become weak and stiff,” says Douglas Lentz, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and the director of fitness and wellness for Summit Health in Chambersburg, Pa.
Exercising each day seems like the obvious solution, but even 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day may not be enough to curb the effects of a lifetime spent sitting. According to the article on MSNBC, what’s really important is that you take frequent breaks up and out of your chair. The ordinary movements you make throughout the day, like standing up, walking around, using the restroom, walking to the copier, and even fidgeting may make more of a difference than running a 5k at the end of the day (although that will definitely help, too).
“Stand up every half hour,” says Neville Owen, Ph.D., of the University of Queensland. “If you have to sit for longer than that, take more extended and active breaks and move around for a few minutes before sitting back down.”
Dr. Owen suggests taking walking meetings at work, reading emails or taking phone calls standing up, using the restroom upstairs from your office, parking your car a little further away in the morning and getting up every 30 minutes to move. At home, he suggest limiting your TV time – or watching while using a treadmill. In short, don’t be a couch potato.
And remember, if you sit at your desk for work, simply getting out of your chair every 30 minutes could make a big difference in your health and longevity.
