Sedentary Lifestyle, Obesity & Health Issues

Unfortunately, many people are living less active lifestyles and are experiencing serious health issues as a result.

10 Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle and Poor Nutrition

With the way we have evolved placing an emphasis on convenience, some individuals have to make plans to move around or else they’ll stay sitting in the same position for hours on end. Computers and mobile devices, HDTV and gaming systems, food delivery and instant microwavable meals, along with endless transportation options – it’s all nice, but it’s also a bit risky.

Staying sedentary—at rest—for too long is contrary to human nature. Our ancestors were always busy hunting and building and migrating. The human body doesn’t rightly know what to do with itself while at rest, and that’s why it’s so easy to become obese. The body receives all this extra energy that it’s not burning off, and it becomes nothing more than a storage facility, making fat out of calories it would otherwise burn off if you were living an active lifestyle.

But obesity is not the only problem with a sedentary lifestyle. Yes, there is a much higher risk of becoming obese if you sit still and do not move around, but that’s not to say that everyone living a sedentary lifestyle is eating pizza by the pound and frantically chomping through fries.

In short, sedentary lifestyles are more prone to overall poor nutrition; and whether that poor nutrition leads to obesity or not, it will still ultimately put you at risk for many ailments.

Top 10 Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle

1: Heart Disease/Stroke

Individuals less active are far more likely to develop heart disease or blood clots. Cholesterol is able to settle around the arteries more readily in people who lead sedentary lifestyles.

2: Type-2 Diabetes

A lack of physical activity also makes you more prone to type-2 diabetes, which could result from heart disease or occur on its own.

3: Obesity

Obviously, not exercising means you are more likely to become obese, and obesity comes with a laundry list of complications, almost all of which are synonymous with a sedentary lifestyle.

4: Cancer

Lack of physical exercise hinders your body’s ability to expel cancer-causing free radicals and thus makes you more likely to suffer from a form of cancer.

5: Mood Disorders

Depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders have been linked to a lack of exercise.

6: Skin Problems

Leading a sedentary lifestyle puts you at greater risk for skin problems and hair loss.

7: Vitamin Deficiencies

For many people living a sedentary lifestyle, nutrition isn’t always of great importance, so vitamin deficiencies can occur, including B and D deficiencies which can cause osteoarthritis and other conditions.

8: Gout

A type of arthritis, gout occurs more frequently in less active individuals.

9: Muscle Loss

Not working your muscles over time will result in muscle loss and overall weakness in the body.

10: Low Energy

The less the body moves around, the less energy is produces. It goes into a sort of hibernation mode, using only what it needs.

Some of these issues are deadly serious while others can be corrected more easily. But they can all be avoided if you just take a few minutes out of your day to get up and move around. Whether you take the dog for a walk around the block or hit the exercise bike for 20 minutes, you can combat the risks of a sedentary lifestyle by putting forth the effort.