Sitting is ageing you rapidly: Doctor reveals how it's adding to your age and what you can do to slow it

Sitting for too long can negatively affect your health, attracting age-related diseases quickly. Here's how you can combat it.

Sitting primarily defines what a sedentary lifestyle looks like. From entertainment, whether it's watching movies or doomscrolling, to working at a desk, sitting for long has become unavoidable. But what we don’t realise is that this puts so much strain on our bodies that it may even be accelerating the ageing process (and no anti-ageing products can rescue us).

Maryland-based Dr Kunal Sood (MD) at National Spine and Pain Centre, took to Instagram to reveal how sitting is making you age faster than you realise.

Danger of sitting too much

From working to relaxing, you are always sitting. (Shutterstock)

While everyone’s constantly on the hunt to slow down the ageing process, whether through diet or skincare products, did you know that sitting, which is a fundamental part of nearly every activity, from eating to working, could be accelerating it instead?

Since prevention is better than a cure, it's time to know how sitting adds to your age.

Dr Sood said, “The longer you sit, the quicker you age. Did you know how much time you spent sitting could be speeding up the ageing process? Prolonged sitting, especially with poor posture, will add stress to your back, neck, arms and legs. This will put immense pressure on your spinal muscles and discs, and when you are sitting in a slouch position will even stretch the ligaments and discs over time. Over time, this overstretching can cause pain in both your back and neck. Research also shows that too much inactivity will increase both stress and inflammation in your body, damaging your telomeres, which are markers of how your body ages over time. This will lead to faster ageing and also increase your risk of age-related diseases.”

How can you prevent it?

Instead of sitting for lunch, consider walking, if you have a light meal on hand. (Shutterstock)

Your biggest anti-ageing defence is to get moving. Your secret weapon is right with you, staying active. It's a natural and powerful way to help you ‘age like a fine wine.’

Dr Sood added, “The good news is you don't need to overhaul your life to make a difference. You can simply stand up more, walking every 30 minutes, go for short walks and even stretch to protect your telomeres and slow down the clock.”

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.