Sedentary lifestyles: what are the health risks?

According to recent estimates, 31 % of the world's population do not take part in the recommended amount of physical activity to protect their health. health. Unfortunately, this lack of physical activity has a direct impact on health. More than half of the population prefers inactivity to physical exercise. Quite tempting, isn't it? And yet prolonged inactivity causes serious dangers that are often irreversible. Let's find out together what a sedentary lifestyle is. What is the situation in France? What are the impacts on our health? How can we combat a sedentary lifestyle? 

How do you define sedentary lifestyle ?

Sedentary behaviour is the behaviour of people who, while awake, generate an energy expenditure close to that of rest. This mainly corresponds to mundane activities such as working in front of a computer, watching television on the sofa or driving.

What are the threats of a sedentary lifestyle?

It is important to note that there are three levels of sedentary behaviour: low sedentary behaviour (less than 3 hours per day), moderate sedentary behaviour (between 3 and 7 hours per day) and high sedentary behaviour (more than 7 hours per day). What is the situation regarding sedentary behaviour in France?

-55% of French people sit for less than 6 hours a day

-30% between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.

-15% more than 10 hours

For a national average of 7 hours and 24 minutes per day! Yes, you read that right! With this impressive score, the French are in the top 3 for the longest time spent sitting down in a day, but unfortunately, this is not something to be proud of when you consider the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

Who is affected by sedentary lifestyle ?

Sedentary lifestyles at work:

Architects, lawyers, office workers, dressmakers, cashiers - we're all affected by the world of architecture. a sedentary lifestyle at work.

Office jobs are still among the least mobile, especially when you work from home. This limits the number of journeys you have to make to work, but it also sometimes means that you have to work longer when urgent requests pile up.

Sedentary lifestyle at home:

After a hard day's work, it's time to get on with our daily activities! This is the perfect opportunity to exercise and combat a sedentary lifestyle, but this is not the case for everyone. In fact, during their free time, 59% of French people prefer sedentary activities (watching a film/series or surfing the Internet), compared to 41% who prefer physical activities (going for a walk/shopping).

As you will have realised, one of the main causes of a sedentary lifestyle is the pervasive presence of screens.

A sedentary lifestyle can also increase with the onset of winter, as we tend to stay at home more often when the temperature is around 0°C.

The recent confinement, with the suspension of many of our daily activities, and the rise of the teleworking have only made this worrying phenomenon worse.

What illnesses are linked to a healthy lifestyle? sedentary ?

A sedentary lifestyle is a silent threat to our health, the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle In fact, 72% of Europeans underestimate the health risks caused by a sedentary lifestyle. The risks most often ignored by Europeans are those linked to cancer, psychological disorders and diabetes.

A sedentary lifestyle kills

According to the WHO, a sedentary lifestyle (lack of physical activity) is considered to be the fourth leading risk factor for death worldwide from all causes.

A sedentary lifestyle and cancer

According to a study published in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute, sedentary behaviour is associated with a 24% increased risk of developing colon cancer, 32 % increased risk of developing endometrial cancer, and 21 % increased risk of developing lung cancer.

Sedentary lifestyles and diabetes

A sedentary lifestyle significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the journal Diabetologia.

A sedentary lifestyle and obesity

It seems obvious that a lack of physical activity is a major factor in weight gain and obesity. A study conducted by the Journal of Medicine establishes that lack of physical activity is more responsible for the explosion in obesity in the United States than diet.

Sedentary lifestyles and depression

In a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers found that people with a sedentary lifestyle have a 25 % greater chance of becoming depressed.

A sedentary lifestyle kills more people than tobacco!

Many specialists now compare a sedentary lifestyle to smoking. Sitting is said to be even worse than tobacco. Does that surprise you? It's normal, as we are all aware of the health risks of smoking, but we are not sufficiently aware of those associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Studies show that a sedentary lifestyle has become the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. It is more serious than smoking!

So, are you aware of the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle? We'll let you stretch your legs and think about all this before giving you our tips for combating a sedentary lifestyle on a daily basis!

8 tips to combat a sedentary lifestyle on a daily basis

As you can see, we are constantly confronted with a sedentary lifestyle. Here's how to remedy it:

How can we combat sedentary lifestyles at work?

• Walk or cycle to work!
• To combat a sedentary lifestyle at work, it's essential to take breaks every hour and go for a walk. Of course, we're not asking you to run a marathon, but at the very least to walk for 2/3 minutes.
• So, instead of sending loads of emails to your colleagues who are in an office near yours, just pop over! Not only will you be helping to reduce pollution, but you'll also be maintaining your social connections with your colleagues!
• If you're lucky enough to work for a company that offers yoga, mediation or other classes, don't hesitate to take part. As well as taking your mind off things, the class will give you a sporting break.

How can you be less sedentary on a daily basis?

• Exercise before starting your day; it has a direct effect on your mood and reduces stress!
• When the opportunity arises, take the stairs rather than the lift.
• Does the rivalry between siblings or friends in the canteen over who gets to fill the water jug ring a bell? Well, be proud to stand up and fill it yourself. Not only will you be looking after your health, you'll also be well regarded!
• Make phone calls standing up! Now that almost all of us are lucky enough to have mobile phones, remember to stretch your legs during your calls.

More generally, it is essential to remain as active as possible during our various daily activities!

Encouraging young people to adopt an active lifestyle

No age group is spared, and both children and adolescents are particularly concerned by the threat posed by a sedentary lifestyle.

According to a study by the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 80% of schoolchildren worldwide do not get the recommended daily amount of physical activity recommended by health professionals. France is at the bottom of the ranking, struggling to reach 119th place out of the 146 countries studied. It is up to us to change things!

From a very young age, we need to combine physical activity with the fight against a sedentary lifestyle.

This phenomenon, which particularly affects young people, is mainly due to the electronic revolution and growing insecurity. Some teenagers could walk to school, but their parents choose to take them by car to avoid the risk.

As you can see, a sedentary lifestyle poses very serious health risks: diabetes, obesity, cancer, depression, etc. Yet too many of us still work long hours in a seated position without considering the risks of a sedentary lifestyle. Both at work and at home, it is possible to remedy this situation. In this sense, the ergonomic ActiveBase seat has been designed to transform your working time spent in a seated position into active muscle-building time.

Now that you know all about the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle, feel free to tell your friends and family about it and share this article if you found it informative.