We live in a time, where, most if not everything is easily available to us at our fingertips - coffee, news, connecting with friends and family living halfway around the world, ready-made meals etc. We spend the larger part of our lives sitting down, whether it be in our cars, at our office desk, eating, binge watch the latest series that has everyone talking all masked in the form of rest and relaxation. But are we talking about the impacts this seated and sedentary lifestyle is having on our health and wellbeing?

A sedentary lifestyle is determined by little to no physical activity or requiring a high volume of sitting in one’s day-to-day lived experience.

With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, many pivoted to a work from home model, and through the use of technology we are now able to easily engage in e-commerce, from buying shoes or having groceries delivered to your door. We hardly need to leave home to get anything we need. However, an outcome from the Covid-19 pandemic is the weight gain seen and experienced by many, as we all started moving less.

Risks of a sedentary lifestyle

• Mental health risks, including a contributing factor to depression, anxiety and several mood disorders
• Low self-esteem or low-confidence, negative body image
• An increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes
• Development of poor sleeping patterns
• Increased risk of heart disease
• Increase in weight and risk of obesity
• An increase in lack of energy, or lethargy
• Increased risk of high blood pressure in the arteries, referred to as hypertension
• Increased risk of certain types of cancers
• A decrease in muscle mass, further weakening the immune system, including the weakening of joint tissues, contributing to lower back, neck, shoulder, and hip issues

The World Health Organisation recommends that an individual engage in 150 minutes of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes of intense exercise per week. Simply, that’s just 30 minutes of moderate exercise for 5 days a week, and 25 minutes of intense exercise 3 days a week, or 15 minutes of intense exercise 5 days a week. It is recommended that we aim for between 6 000 and 10 000 steps a day. However, due to the pandemic and the new work from home models, we are walking a lot less than we previously did. With this in mind, we need to make a conscious effort to help our physical and mental wellbeing.

An added risk to the sedentary lifestyle is living a life indoors, which further contributes to health risk factors. Vitamin D is a crucial mineral for human health, as it is the foundation to bone health, affecting bones, muscles, joints and tissues. Its purpose is to aid in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from your diet. These minerals then help build and maintain the strength of bones. A big rick to the sedentary lifestyle is a life indoors, and a lack of exposure to sunlight, resulting in a vitamin D deficiency, causing an impairment in bodily function and the mineralization of bones, which is when bones break down faster than it can reform, resulting in Osteomalacia (soft bones) in adults and rickets in children.

Practical ways to start moving

• Take a break from your home desk for 15 minutes and walk around the block or walk around your complex.
• Include a walk around your house or through the garden as part of your coffee break, taking in some much-needed vitamin D and fresh air will do wonders to your body and brain.
• Avoid the easy home-delivery option, rather park and walk to the place you are ordering from, maybe a stroll in the supermarket isn’t too bad after all.
• Park far away from the entrance to the shopping centre, and walk briskly while shopping, you’ll appreciate the few extra steps.
• Consider taking the stairs instead of the elevator when it’s only a few levels you need to get to.
• Think about incorporating a small trampoline close to your desk, spending 5 to 10 minutes jumping on it. Not only is it soft on your joints, but you’ll have some fun while bouncing around.
• Possibly a treadmill or stationary bike could work for you, enabling you to either walk or cycle as you work.
• Do a set of short burst high intensity exercise, like burpees, jumping jacks and other body weight movements throughout the day to get your heart rate up, and work some muscles in your body simultaneously.
• Incorporate some stretching into your day, as some gentle stretching and elongating the spine doesn’t require either a lot of time or space, and aids in posture and physical health, particularly when seated for most of the day.
• Set times to get up and go to sleep, setting a circadian rhythm for your body, aiding in hormone regulation and weight control as poor sleep cycles are directly related with higher rates of obesity.
• Develop a schedule for yourself, even when you work from home. Simple things to include are starting and ending work at the same time, build into your schedule time for exercise and stepping away from computers and digital devices. A schedule helps put you into a routine, equipping you with the ability to avoid a sedentary lifestyle and its negative effects

Keep in mind that a little activity goes a long way in boosting physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The NMG SA Group of Companies are authorised financial service providers t/a NMG Benefits