What Harm Can It Do To Sit?
It’s pretty hard to avoid sitting for long periods of time nowadays. Maybe you work at home and so you don’t even have to walk out to your car in the morning; maybe you find it difficult to move around because of your age or an injury; or maybe you have just never been a fan of exercise. You should know, though, that sitting for hours at a time day after day can increase your risk of varicose and spider veins, deep vein thrombosis, diabetes, chronic back pain, certain kinds of cancers, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. And standing for long periods of time every day can be just as harmful!
Here are some tips for avoiding the damage that prolonged sitting or standing can do:
- Move frequently. If you have to, set an alarm to go off every hour to remind yourself to get up and walk around a bit. Look for opportunities to get up and move around – even standing up while on a phone call at the office can help.
- Exercise. Start an exercise program on your days off, or start taking walks on your lunch hour. Even small bouts of exercise (such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator) will do you some good and get your blood flowing.
- Ask your doctor for help. If you sit for a long time each day because you are in pain, ask your doctor for advice on what you can do to start moving more in a safe way.
Are you suffering from the effects of years of prolonged sitting or standing? Contact Dr. Sammy A. Zakhary for help with varicose or spider veins, or if you are concerned that you may have something even more serious. Call the office in Glendale, Arizona, at (623) 258-3255 for an appointment today.
