Credits: Social Media
Two simple exercises are all you need for a healthy work-from-home lifestyle
Working from home isn’t as easy as some think it is to navigate. As if endless distractions weren’t enough, a study shows sitting for long durations in a stretch can contribute to the risks of early death, even if you exercise plenty. But, you can overcome this with a simple activity once every half hour.
Life hasn’t been the same since the pandemic. When people were forced to remain cooped up in their homes, many found solace in the coziness of their own space. But, the comfort can cause more harm than good, so beware.
What doesn’t keep you active can kill you, study shows
Two different studies – one conducted by researchers at Columbia University’s Department of Medicine and another by a team at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Womens Hospital – highlight the dangers of sitting for long hours daily.
Both studies link sitting for excessively long periods to premature death, but the exact reason behind that is yet to be determined. However, a sedentary lifestyle is reportedly associated with an increased risk of the development of chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
According to the results of the study available on the Howard Health blog, women who spent 11 or more hours sitting face a 12% increase in premature death. An even less active time is directly linked to more health problems.
The study by the team at Columbia University showed similar results, irrespective of age groups, sex, race, and exercise habits.
Both studies concluded sitting for more than 30 minutes in a stretch without any activity, despite exercising outside those hours, can still pose greater risks to people’s health.
The study reportedly showed that subjects who sat in stretches less than 30 minutes had a 55% lower risk of death compared to people who usually sat for more than 30 minutes at a stretch.
Meanwhile, those who sat for more than 90 minutes in a stretch were at a much higher risk of death – nearly two-fold greater or 200% more at risk than those who sat for a lesser time.
Persons with uninterrupted sedentary bouts of 30 minutes or more had the highest risk for death if total sedentary time also exceeded 12.5 hours per day,” Dr. David A. Alter told CNN.
He added: Conversely, in those whose daily sedentary volumes were low, uninterrupted bout lengths had little if any associated effects on mortality.
Simple exercises can save your life
It’s not too late to reduce the risks from sitting for long durations, especially if you’re working from home, which further restricts your movement as opposed to stepping out to go to the office.
Do the below exercises to stay healthy:
- Move once in 30 minutes. If your company can afford it, then a treadmill to walk at a leisurely pace while taking calls and attending a meeting (off camera, of course), can be highly beneficial to your health.
- Stretch more and get a standing desk if you’re working from home. If it’s hard to track the amount of time you’re spending while sitting, set a timer to remind yourself to get up from your seat and move for at least five minutes once every half hour.
Pets can be the best workout companions too. If you find stretching and walking around your office space boring, take a five-minute break to play with your pet once every half hour. Not only will it reduce the risk of dying early; it will also light up your mood and help you deliver a better performance at work.
