Are you working behind a desk? Here’s what’s coming to you

Working behind a desk combined with low physical activity contributes to 90 thousand. deaths per year in the UK alone and 5,3 million worldwide. Adults who spend eight or more hours a day in the armchair are 60% lower than the average. more likely to die in the next twenty years than those who spend four hours a day or less in this position. This is the result of the calculations of scientists from the University of Cambridge, who analyzed data on the health and lifestyle of over one million adults from sixteen countries around the world, covering a period of twenty years. Experts also estimated the financial costs of a sedentary lifestyle. It turns out that the British economy is losing £ 1,7 billion a year because of it. This amount includes, among others costs of absenteeism and the resulting lower productivity of companies, medical care, pensions, premature termination of professional activity. The problem, of course, also exists in Poland, although there are no precise calculations about its scale. It may be significant, because according to statistics, approx. 70 percent. professionally active Poles work in a sitting position. Although the economic consequences of this state of affairs are difficult to underestimate, the “regular worker” should be most interested in the health consequences of sedentary work – and how to counteract them. Here’s what’s in danger for people who work behind a desk.

The sitting position is the worst position for the spine. Only the wrong sitting position can be worse. And this is what we usually adopt, spending hours in non-ergonomic armchairs. The most common neglect is the lack of support for the lower back. In this way, we put stress on the loins, increasing the risk of injury. Another mistake is sitting in a hunched position with your head tilted in front of the monitor. It suffers from the cervical and thoracic spine. Years of this type of error can make themselves felt by degenerative changes and pain.

It is estimated that half of people with diabetes or prediabetes are unaware of their health – and find out when it is too late. Diabetes mellitus is a serious metabolic disease that interferes with daily functioning. Its neglect leads to life-threatening complications. The best way to avoid it is proper prophylaxis: proper diet and physical activity. However, there is light in the tunnel also for diagnosed diabetics. In recent years there are more reports that it may not be “too late” for them. Dramatic lifestyle changes, especially a significant increase in regular physical activity, can lead to a reduction in insulin resistance and other diabetes symptoms. However, it is better to think about the fight against this disease in advance.

Especially for eight hours or more. Unless we came to work by bike and then we go to the gym. Nevertheless, it is worth getting up often from the desk to stimulate blood flow in the body. Only in this way can we ensure proper oxygenation of tissues and provide them with nutrients. The effects of neglecting cardiovascular health can be severe. One of them is atherosclerosis, responsible for 95 percent. coronary heart disease – the number one killer in the world. The cause of the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries is inflammation, which is influenced by many factors, including consumption of stimulants, a diet rich in sugars and harmful fats, as well as low physical activity.

Physical activity prevents the development of cancer – this is confirmed by numerous studies. The reverse is also true: the less active we are, the more likely we are to develop cancer. Physical effort is a specific health counterbalance to various pathogenic factors with which we come into contact every day, incl. toxins contained in food. It is worth paying attention to one more harmful factor related to working in front of the computer. In an office environment, we are often exposed to increased intensity of the electromagnetic field – resulting, among others, from from the operation of wi-fi routers and frequent calls on the phone. Studies commissioned by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the European Commission have shown that increased exposure to electromagnetic fields may contribute to the development of certain types of cancer, including leukemia as well as brain tumors.

Among the numerous serious health consequences of working behind a desk, it can be considered a small thing – but a painful one. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition associated with damage to the median nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel. It usually affects middle-aged people, mostly women. It can be the result of hand injuries, but also of intensive work in front of the computer, namely: using a mouse, requiring the hand to be kept in an unnaturally bent position. The symptoms include pain, tingling and numbness in the hands. In the long run, it can significantly hinder daily activities and performance of professional duties.

In the world, 47,5 million people suffer from senile dementia. According to forecasts, this number will increase to 2030 million by 75,6. The main direct causes of dementia are neurodegenerative diseases, incl. Alzheimer’s disease, the other – vascular dementia associated with numerous minor damage to blood vessels in the brain. While there are many hypotheses about the causes of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, numerous scientific papers indicate the role of lifestyle in their development. According to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of developing dementia in the elderly as much as a genetic predisposition. It is worth remembering that neurodegenerative diseases associated with old age may begin to develop at the beginning of the third decade of life. Therefore, they should be counteracted in good time.