Does sitting for longer hours really have an effect on the body?
After going through this link I am confused about whether to believe what the link claims. If it's true then most of us are affected already because most of us are doing desk jobs from 9-5 or simply sitting in front of the system.
According to this site it says sitting for longer hours reduces the positive effect on the muscles even after going to the gym. By that logic, aren't we to the risk of accumulating a lot of bad fat in the body
If at all its true then what are the ways to overcome it?
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It appears that this article is aimed more at conditioning activities like running or biking, and for those sorts of activities it appears that research confirms the reduction in training benefit. Towards the end of the article, it mentions that the effect on strength gains is minimal, especially if you get up every once in a while for a quick walk and stretch.
To overcome the effects on the conditioning activities, getting up for breaks will be the best thing you can do within your normal routine. Extreme measures could be taken, such as working while standing or biking, but these fall beyond the range of feasible for most people. By taking a quick break to walk or stretch every hour, you'll likely be able to minimize most of the mentioned losses, but that comes with a loss of working productivity, as the breaks will interrupt your workflow. Its always going to be a tradeoff between work and fitness gains, and comes down to what balance you decide is best for you.
In addition to the marvelous options provided by meanderingmoose, here are a few things to try as well:
Alternate between standing/sitting at work. This will work for some people and not for others.
Sit on an exercise ball at work instead of on a regular chair. This activates your balance muscles and keeps you moving constantly (not to mention you can quickly perform some crunches on it as well). Even if you can't sit on it for long, resting your legs on it helps your balance over time.
Perform an HIIT exercise for about 5 minutes before starting work. Perform another one at lunch-time (or at half-time). Perform it again once your work is over.
All these will activate your muscles, keep your metabolism up, and reduce the effects of sitting. And they shouldn't really affect your work performance.
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