Doctor says sedentary living leads to obesity, weaker bones, cancer risk; shares how to be more active: Walk after lunch

A sedentary lifestyle increases health risks, comparable to smoking, according to Dr Khura. She shares how it affects your health and ways to be more active.

Working officials often spend the majority of their office hours sitting at their desks while working on their computers, leading a sedentary lifestyle. With hectic work schedules, some people do find time to go to the gym. However, most of their time throughout the day is spent sitting, and this could lead to increased health risks.

When we deny our body essential movement, we not only reduce our physical health but also interfere with vital bodily functions. (Freepik)

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Jayanti Khura, consultant-internal medicine, Manipal Hospital Bhubaneswar, talked about how a sedentary lifestyle increases disease risks, what you can do to be more active apart from hitting the gym, and how a lack of body movement affects our health.

‘Sedentary lifestyle as harmful as smoking’

Dr Khura explained, “A sedentary lifestyle, which includes more sitting and less movement throughout the day, increases various health risks. It is as harmful as smoking, even if you are not a smoker.”

According to the expert, our bodies are designed for movement. Therefore, when we deny them that essential activity, “we not only reduce our physical health but also interfere with vital bodily functions like metabolism, circulation, and digestion.”

Your mental health also gets affected because of a sedentary lifestyle. (Freepik)

How does it affect our body over time? "This lack of movement starts manifesting in the form of:

• Fatigue
• Poor sleep quality
• Weight gain
• Reduced productivity

Even people who go to the gym regularly but remain seated for the rest of the day are not fully protected from the risks of a sedentary lifestyle. It’s important to integrate frequent, light activity throughout the day to keep the body active and the mind alert," Dr Khura stated.

How to be more active?

So, what can you do to be more active and avoid leading a sedentary lifestyle? According to Dr Khura, include movement in your daily life:

• 150 min per week of exercise.
• Get up from your chair and walk every 30 minutes.
• Walk after lunch.
• Aim for 7 to 10k steps per day.

A sedentary lifestyle leads to…

Dr Khura also highlighted what a sedentary lifestyle leads to:

• Obesity: A sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity, due to a lack of movement, which results in low calorie burning and, as a result, fat deposition. All these can lead to decreased insulin sensitivity and increased risk of diabetes.
• High blood pressure: A sedentary lifestyle can also cause an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.
• Cancer risk: It has also been seen that cancer risk goes up with prolonged sitting hours.
• Bone health: A sedentary lifestyle takes a toll on our bones, making them weaker. Because our bone needs movement to stay strong.
• Poor posture: Prolonged sitting also causes back pain and neck pain due to poor posture.
• Depression and anxiety: Your mental health also gets affected because of a sedentary lifestyle. It can lead to depression and anxiety.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.