Can Sitting Be As Bad As Smoking? 6 Seemingly Harmless Everyday Activities That Threaten Your Health
By Justin Caba
Six seemingly harmless everyday activities that are wreaking havoc on our health.
Unhealthy habits such as smoking and excessive drinking can have a detrimental effect on our physical well-being, but certain daily activities that we deem harmless may also be leading us down a path to an early grave. Sitting most of the day, wearing an uncomfortable outfit, or spending too much time on our Smartphones are just a few of the ordinary behaviors that we fall victim to as a result of carelessness and relaxation. Here are seven everyday activities that are destroying our idea of a healthy lifestyle:
1. Sitting for Too Long
At one time or another, we all end up spending too much time at our desk staring at the computer screen. Research shows that extended periods of sitting can increase our risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and certain types of cancer. What we may not know is that even an adequate amount of exercise cannot reverse the unhealthy effects of sitting for eight hours. "Smoking is bad for you even if you get lots of exercise," said exercise physiologist at the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Dr. Travis Saunders. "So is sitting too much." Sitting, an unnatural position for the human body, can cut off blood flow to our legs and feet while contorting our spine over time. A 12-year study conducted 17,000 Canadians at the Pennington Biomedical Research Centers revealed that regardless of age, body, weight, or amount of exercise, people who spend more time sitting have a shorter lifespan.
2. Wearing Uncomfortable Shoes, Bras, or Handbags
Women who fight through the pain of an uncomfortable bra, handbag, or pair of shoes in the name of fashion may think they are doing so only for that moment; however, health experts say their current discomfort can lead to lifelong back problems. Aside from back pain, wearing an ill-fitting bracan cause skin rashes, tendinitis, and even gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. Even if that bulky handbag is the hottest trend this fashion season, ladies may want to avoid putting too much weight on their shoulders if they hope to avoid back-related issues. The American Chiropractic Association recommends that women carry no more than 10 percent of their body weight for extended periods of time.
“What we wear on our feet has a huge influence on our posture. In fact, some of the worst shoes for your feet are also likely to cause spine degeneration and even precipitate the need for spine surgery,” chief medical director at Laser Spine Institute, Dr. Michael Perry, toldMedical Dailyin an email. “High-heels are the obvious culprit when it comes to poor shoe choices for the feet and back. Heels pose a risk of falls, ankle sprains, rapid degeneration of the joints in the feet and problems with abnormal posture.”
3. Burying Our Heads in a Smartphone or Tablet
We may not think we’re causing too much damage by spending a lengthy amount of time hunched over our Smartphone or Tablet, but iPosture is very real. Poor posture triggered by mobile device use is not only affecting older people, but also those under the age of 24, who are finding it difficult to turn their attention away from their iPhone for even a second. A recent survey conducted by UK health care provider Simplyhealth revealed that 84 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 were suffering from lower back pain caused by spending as much time on their Smartphone, tablet, or computer as they did sleeping.
“Smartphones/tablets: Studies show that the progressive use of smart phones and tablets can lead to an increase in medical problems — the main culprit being ‘text neck.’ Text neck is caused by leaning the head forward over a cell phone, tablet or gaming system for an extended time.” Dr. Perry added. “According to Forbes, with 2.19 trillion texts being sent annually by U.S. customers, there are millions of potential sufferers. The added strain on your neck and shoulders creates muscle tension and an opportunity for an injured spine, as well as disc herniation, muscle strain or pinched nerves. “
4. Not Getting Enough Sleep
The National Sleep Foundation recommends a healthy adult take in anywhere between seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Unfortunately an estimated 40 million Americans fail to meet these recommendations thanks to a hectic day-to-day schedule. Aside from hindering our physical development and contributing to our obesity risk, failing to get a healthy amount of sleepcan also impede on our neurological development. A study conducted at the Uppsala University in Sweden found that going even one night without sleep can result in an increase of molecules that are biomarkers for brain damage.
“I enjoy late night TV shows. After all, who can say no to Jimmy Fallon's jokes? But there's nothing funny about not getting enough sleep,” American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer, Joshua Duvauchelle toldMedical Dailyin an email. “If you habitually don't get enough sleep, you're at a higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and many other health problems. On a more vain level, less shut-eye means bigger numbers on the bathroom scale. A meta-analysis in the Sleep research journal reviewed 696 different studies from around the world and found a strong link between sleep deprivation and increased obesity among both children and adults.”
5. Daytime Napping
Now that we’ve covered the unhealthy side effects of not getting enough sleep, let’s talk about getting too much sleep. That midday nap could be an effective way to improve productivity throughout the rest of our day, but spending too much time nappingcan have an equally negative impact. Experts in the art of napping suggest limiting naptime to just less than 30 minutes to prevent our body from going into deeper stages of sleep. On the other hand, datafrom the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk shows that people who constantly nap for more than an hour each day increase their early mortality risk by 32 percent.
6. Drinking Sugary Soft Drinks
At this point, we should all know that a diet riddled with soda is anything but healthy. Some may not know the extent of the damage their sugary soft drink addictionis having on their health. For example, people who drink a can of soda a day increase their risk of suffering a heart attack by 20 percent according to a recent Harvard University study. The amount of sugar in a single can of soda, 10 teaspoons, or 100 percent of our daily recommended intake, can also increase our risk of pulmonary complications such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).
“If you have a cola or your favorite soda beverage at lunch every day, it may seem harmless,” Duvauchelle explained. “However, in one year, drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day is like eating nine of those generic 4-pound bags of sugar in the grocery store! A study in the New England Journal of Medicine followed 120,000 adults for two decades and found that people
who drank a single sugary drink once a day gained extra weight, while other studies in other journals have linked sugary beverages to diabetes, heart attacks, gout and more.”

7. Self service

Unintentionally, at times we end up hurting our body and our health on a daily basis due to our habits. Today. Reverse these habits and start enjoying a healthy and happy life today
## Nose/mouth picking
This annoying and silly habit of 'digging gold' is one of the worst habits that goes un-questioned. This habit is not only bad for your health but it is also against common social etiquette. Picking your nose can spread various infections like cold and flu, as cold virus is passed into your body through the mucus. After touching several things and then taking the same finger into your nose, you will land at the doctor's clinic. Hence, stop this awkward habit of pulling sticky substance from your nose, or fetching left over food strands from your mouth.
## Binge drinking
Binge drinking, causes many deaths and hospitalisation all over the world says .Binge drinking causes long term health problems like liver trouble and immediate problems like weight gain, dizziness and fatigue. To save yourself from such damage, the key is limitation.
## I am so 'lonely'-the key for good health is a healthy and fresh mind. If your mind is unhealthy, it will affect your immune system and put you at several health risks. If you spend most of your time obssessing over your loneliness, and any other social challenges, or whatever could cause feelings of despair and frustration, then you are harming your mental health, detaching yourself from people, and stressing your mind and body.
## Wearing headphones for long hours
Headphones or earphones are the sole companions for some of us throughout the day. We listen to music to pass time, while travelling or while working out. But, if you have plugged in for hours, with no breaks, then you need to keep this habit under check.Listening to loud music via earphones, can cause hearing loss;headphones aren't the culprits, it is the volume and the hours that can land you in trouble. Besides, ignoring minor symptoms of hearing loss is also one of the biggest criminals.
## TV trouble
Sitting for hours on the couch, watching that idiot box can put your heart and eyes at risk. Watching too much TV can put you at an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and obesity. The more you are glued to the TV, the more immobile life will affect your levels of fat and sugar in your blood. Besides, it also strains your eyes and causes damage to the refractive lens.
## Wearing heels
Women who wear heels on a daily basis, do lots of harm to their bodies; high heels can affect your posture, put pressure on joints - which can cause arthritis, back pain and tendon injuries and other heels related accidents. Thus to prevent such horrible effects on your health,limit your heels to not more than 1.5 inches, and wear insoles to reduce the pressure on your joints.
## Sleeping with Makeup
Many girls have a habit of sleeping with their makeup still on. Whatever the reason could be, this habit can cause grave damage to your skin. Sleeping with your makeup on, leads to clogged pores, congested skin and spots. Besides, mascara and other eye makeup can cause irritation, which can also lead to vision loss
## Snacking, even if not hungry
If you disrupt your regular eating pattern, then your body will no longer send hunger signals and you may end up eating even when you are full. This extra eating can flood your body with extra calories and unhealthy ingredients, which can further cause serious chronic health problems like diabetes, heart problems and acidity.
## Can't live without a smoke
In every health tip, behind every cigarette pack, we read this,' Smoking kills', but people still persist with the smoking habit;smoking even a single cigarette a day, can cause blood clots, which may prevent swift flow of the blood and hence develop plaque in your arteries and blood vessels. Besides, you may also damage the life of the non-smoker who is living with you.
Lying constantly
Surprised to see this one on a healthy living post? Those minute white lies can cause serious damage to your health. If you lie constantly, you will have constant fear of the truth being disclosed, this will create a feeling of stress in you. Stress, is the worst thing for your body, as it damages your health due to the release of stress hormones. Besides, it further leads to headaches and anxiety.
##You live on medicines
If you pop a pill for regular headaches, menstrual cramps or normal tummy trouble then you need to stop now. Constant pill popping is an extremely harmful habit that will put your health at stake. If you are eating a balanced nutritious diet then you don't need extra nutrients. If the intake of any nutrient increases, it may create severe side effects. Hence, always check with your doctor, before popping any pill.
## Skipping breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day . If your entire breakfast comprises one cup of rushed coffee and a toast, then you're setting yourself up for an unhealthy future. This will affect your digestive system. Besides, it will also harm your energy reserves and negatively affect your metabolism. If you skip your breakfast, you are likely to eat more during the other meals and this can lead to weight gain.The key to a good breakfast is a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates.
## You are in love with junk food
Fast food is rich in trans fat, sugar, spices and artificial preservatives. But a life dependent on constant fast food will add to your waistline and cause serious health problems like high cholesterol, diabetes and heart problems in the long run. As fast food is rich in bad fat, it raises the bad cholesterol in the body and leads to the hardening of the arteries, which can further cause plaque deposits. Hence, switch to a healthy diet and protect yourself from weight gain and other serious health problems.
## Nail biting
This habit of using your teeth to cut your nails, just for time pass or due to extreme nervousness, can cause germ entry into your body. Your hands are constant travellers, they pick several things throughout the day, and then taking these nasty, germ-filled fingers into your mouth can make you bed-ridden for days, due to cold or flu. So, stop this dirty habit right away.
Bad habit to quit for a healthy living
## Fast eating
Eating at lightning speed due to work pressure or lack of time can adversely affect your digestive system. You should take at least 20 minutes to finish each meal. If you just gulp your food, without chewing it properly, it can cause acidity, bloating and excess gas in your stomach. Hence, slow down and enjoy your food.
## Picking at your skin
If there is some flaw on your face, you must resist yourself from constantly stressing on it. If you constantly keep worrying about acne by touching it, it will act up more. Besides it will lead to scars and inflammation. Hence, stop picking at your face to avoid worsening skin issues.