What connects back pain with varicose veins? The answer may surprise you. It's a long sitting behind a desk or in front of the TV. But the list of ailments and ailments associated with sitting for long periods does not end there. A sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, and many hours of work at a desk contribute to the development of, among others. hemorrhoids, varicose veins, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
A sedentary lifestylewill sooner or later bring you serious diseasesdiseases . Tens of minutes on the bus or car, then many hours at the desk and computer, and finally relaxing … in front of the TV. Convenience, laziness, lack of time - no matter what makes our lifestyle so inactive, the results are the same: he alth problems.
Our body is unable to use up the calories it receives and turns them into adipose tissue. This, in turn, gradually ruins the circulatory system, increases the risk of developing certain cancers, and overloads joints and ligaments. Lack of exercise also disrupts the course of many processes in the body, including carbohydrate metabolism, fat burning, calcium absorption.
As a result, the theoretically innocent liking to spend time in the chair leads to really serious illnesses - let's take a look at the most common ones. We should also be aware that as long as the damage to the body caused by lack of exercise is not great, it can usually be remedied simply by increasing physical activity. But once they have become entrenched, the transition to a more active lifestyle is only one part of a broader therapy.
Headaches, shallow breathing
Hunching and leaning forward while working at the computer can also cause headaches, incl. because in this position we often clench our jaws and tighten the facial muscles. Headaches are also favored by hypoxia resulting from problems with breathing. This is because when you sit for a long time, you contract your abdominal muscles, making both the inhale and exhalation incomplete.
- How to help yourself?
Sit in the chair at work, straighten your back and position the monitor so that its center is in line with your eyesight. Ventilate the room frequently and take breaks for breathing exercises: exhale through your mouth while pulling in your stomach, inhalingnose, pushing the belly out. This is how you activate the diaphragm, which supports breathing.
A sedentary lifestyle and constipation
Lack of exercise weakens the abdominal muscles. This promotes the slowing down of bowel movements and the development of the "lazy bowel syndrome" - the mechanisms that condition the bowel reflex gradually cease to function. Chronic constipation has a negative effect on the body - long-term retention of food residues in the intestines promotes the formation of toxic substances that adversely affect the condition of the intestines themselves, causing irritation and inflammation, and deterioration of general well-being (weakness, headaches).
- How to help yourself?
Training is recommended to strengthen the abdominal muscles and stimulate the digestive system. The best form of exercise is performed in an upright position (walking, running, swimming), because it improves the work of the intestines constricted in the abdominal cavity for most of the day due to a sedentary lifestyle.
First of all, however, it is necessary to correct the diet. It needs to be enriched with products containing a lot of fiber (dark bread, raw vegetables and fruits, dried fruit, groats), which facilitates the passage of food in the intestines, and also accelerates the excretion of food debris from the body. However, the amount of fiber products should be increased gradually - changing your diet too abruptly can cause abdominal pain and bloating. It is also worth introducing yogurt and kefir to your daily diet, because they contain lactic acid bacteria that populate the large intestine, stimulate it to work and inhibit the development of spoilage bacteria that are unfavorable to he alth. In the fight against constipation, it is also very important to drink about 2 liters of drinks a day (note - cocoa and black tea are breathtaking).
ImportantSitting work is good for you
- 70 percent of the active population work in a seated position. We spend a total of 10 years in a chair!
- 60-80 percent of working people complain of lower back pain. These pains occur most often in people who perform seemingly the lightest, because sedentary work. In the ranking of the groups of employees most exposed to musculoskeletal ailments, office workers are even ahead of dockers.
Youth can be kept
Scientists believe that the best indicator of biological age in adults is physical performance, measured by the maximum capacity to absorb oxygen (the so-called VO2 max.). It increases until the age of 20, remains at the same level for several years, and then gradually decreases. For example, the efficiency of an average fifty-year-old is about 80 percent.the peak value of the VO2 max, reached in the twenties, and by the age of 60 it corresponds to only 60-65 percent.However, studies have shown that in people who train actively (mainly long-distance running), the decline in VO2 max is almost half slower than in sedentary people . Therefore, scientists are of the opinion that thanks to systematic physical training it is possible to achieve a change in the relationship between calendar and biological age, in the order of 10-20 years!
A sedentary lifestyle and hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are excessive vein extensions in the anal canal. As a result of a sedentary lifestyle, the pressure in the abdominal cavity increases, and during the strong pressure caused by difficulties with defecation, the pressure on the blood vessels increases. Over time, they widen and bulge more and more until they protrude outside the anus. Hemorrhoids burn, hurt and bleed, and because they are constantly irritated, they eventually become inflamed.
- How to help yourself?
Counteracting hemorrhoids is primarily a fight against constipation - a daily dose of moderate physical exercise, change of diet. Plant agents that have a mild laxative effect (buckthorn bark or aloe extract) can also be helpful.
In order to alleviate the symptoms caused by hemorrhoids and eliminate the inflammation around the anus, it is best to use preparations with an analgesic and disinfecting effect, reducing itching and swelling. These are ointments, gels or suppositories which most often contain plant extracts (e.g. Emorect, Procto-Glyvenol, Hemorectal, Hemorol, Ruscolex). Sitz baths in herbal decoctions (oak bark, chamomile, calendula) also have a soothing effect - they soothe burning and pain, and accelerate healing.
Varicose veins are the effect of a sedentary lifestyle
Varicose veins are also an unpleasant effect of long hours spent motionless. Because when the leg muscles are not working, the so-called a muscular-valvular pump that pumps blood up to the heart. That is why blood remains in the veins, presses against the walls, contributes to their weakening and expansion.
- How to help yourself?
The forms of movement that improve blood circulation in the legs are especially recommended - walking, cycling. You can also perform exercises that facilitate the movement of blood from the legs upwards, e.g. climb on the toes and then drop heavily on the heels. In addition, it is worth using plant preparations (oral tablets and gels spread with arnica, horse chestnut extract), which seal the venous vessels and improve their tone. With more advanced varicose veins, it is also advisable to wear special tights eitherknee-high socks.
Backaches are the result of a sedentary lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle is the greatest torment for the spine - while sitting, we burden it almost twice as much as when standing. Overload and lack of exercise weaken the muscles and ligaments that keep the spine in the correct position. Overweight also contributes to this - an additional burden on the spine. Deformities appear - scoliosis, round back, protruding shoulder blades, which cause more and more pain. The "couch" lifestyle is also conducive to osteoporosis, as well as stiffness and degeneration of the joints. Immobility intensifies the process of decalcification and bone loss, and worsens the nutrition of the joints.
- How to help yourself?
The only effective solution is to relax and strengthen the muscles supporting the spine (chest and abdominal muscles). Moderate physical effort is recommended, not causing overload, e.g. swimming, dancing, gymnastics. Sports with a significant risk of injury (e.g. skiing, skating, soccer) should be avoided. Temporary relief will be provided by a massage or a warm bath. You also need to ensure that the diet provides the right amount of calcium and B vitamins, because they have a great impact on the efficient functioning of muscles and strong bones. It is also worth (but preferably after consulting a doctor) taking glucosamine, which has a beneficial effect on the joints.
A sedentary lifestyle leads to overweight and high blood pressure
A sedentary lifestyle usually goes hand in hand with a poor diet and ultimately leads to weight gain. These three elements at the same time are almost a guarantee of high cholesterol, inefficient heart work and arterial hypertension - that is, a harbinger of a catastrophe for the cardiovascular system.
- How to help yourself?
The basis is a diet (limiting, among others, the consumption of fats and s alt) and regular, moderate exercise. At the beginning, for example, marches with a rather vigorous step or riding a bike are suitable, then the effort can be gradually increased. The benefits of training are visible quite quickly - it lowers cholesterol, improves blood oxygenation and contractility of the heart muscle (the heart works more efficiently), increases the volume of coronary arteries and lowers blood pressure. It is important to regularly check cholesterol levels (preferably a full lipid profile every 1-2 years) and blood pressure (at each visit to the doctor, but at least once a year).
Type 2 diabetes - the result of a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight
A small amount of exercise and being overweight are the two most frequently mentioned causes of type 2 diabetes. This disease begins with a metabolic disordercarbohydrates, and hence - increasing insulin resistance. When tissues stop responding to normal insulin levels, the pancreas begins to produce more insulin, but still not enough to meet the body's increasing needs (due to insulin resistance). The concentration of glucose in the blood increases, so the pancreas increases insulin secretion … And the circle closes.
- How to help yourself?
In addition to taking medications and following the diet recommended by your doctor, exercise is also important in managing diabetes. Moderate regular exercise (e.g. walking) improves glucose tolerance and increases the sensitivity of tissues to insulin.
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Source: Lifestyle.newseria.pl