IS YOUR SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE AFFECTING YOUR HEART?

If you have a sedentary lifestyle, you are less likely to have any physical activity throughout the day. Today, most of us have sedentary lifestyles because of our jobs. We keep on sitting at our desks for long hours which affects our heart health severely. With an unhealthy heart, we are more prone to cardiovascular diseases and other heart conditions. The following discusses how a sedentary lifestyle is a primary risk factor for heart disease.

What is meant by a sedentary lifestyle?

If your daily routine is devoid of the recommended level of physical activity, it means that you have a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activities include getting up and moving around, walking, gardening, doing household chores and most importantly exercising. Instead, you tend to sit most of your day while working at your desk, watching TV or talking over the phone. All these activities gradually form a sedentary lifestyle.

Also Read : 6 health risks of your sedentary life and how to avoid them – Vissco Next

Sedentary Lifestyle and Cardiovascular Diseases

A sedentary lifestyle induces prolonged sitting and long hours of inactivity. Sitting for long hours poses a major threat to our heart health.

Sedentary lifestyles result in reduced flow of blood through the vessels. This allows the blood vessels to develop fatty acids that lead to cardiovascular diseases. Insulin resistance is one of the prime reasons for developing cardiovascular diseases. Sitting for long can even make you insulin resistant and hence lead to poor heart health.

Sedentary lifestyles encourage a lack of physical activities and exercise. This may lead to obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. All of these can put a serious threat to your heart health.

Sitting for long is as harmful to the heart as smoking cigarettes. Recent studies say that sedentary lifestyles are becoming more and more fatal. According to studies, people who tend to sit for more than 12 hours a day are 200 percent more prone to early death. It also says that people who sit for long hours are most likely to suffer from serious heart conditions. Another study says that people who sit a lot and follow a sedentary lifestyle suffer from a 147 percent increase in heart attacks and strokes.

Ways to improve heart health in a sedentary lifestyle

You can adopt several healthy habits to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. The following is a list of a few exercises that promote improved heart health. They are:

1. Walking:

One of the simplest exercises to beat cardiovascular disease is walking. Just get into a pair of sneakers and go for a nice long walk in the morning. You walk any time of the day to boost your heart health.

2. Doing yoga:

Yoga exercises not only improve your heart health but also allow you to de-stress. They are ideal exercises for relaxing your mind along with your mind. So, try to do some yoga at home to be healthy at heart.

Also Read : 6 HOME EXERCISES FOR FROZEN SHOULDERS – Vissco Next

3. Swimming:

Swimming is a vital exercise to keep away cardiovascular diseases. Swimming in the afternoon or after work never fails to boost your heart health. It not only strengthens your body muscles but also keeps your heart young.

4. Cycling:

Cycling greatly helps to maintain a healthy heart. When you go for a few laps, your heart pumps out a lot of blood to function properly. It keeps your cardiovascular system healthy and maintains good heart health.

5. Weight training:

Weight training helps in burning fat and developing a healthy heart. You can go to the gym to train with weight, or do exercises like push-ups and squats at home. All these are very effective in enhancing bone as well as heart health.

Sedentary lifestyles mostly give rise to an unhealthy heart. As a result, we develop certain heart conditions that are sometimes fatal. So, we must attempt to live with a healthy heart and reduce the chances of heart disease.

Sources:
Physical inactivity | BHF
6 Best Exercises to Strengthen Your Heart | Intermountain Healthcare