Expert in this article: Xiao Chengwei, attending physician in the orthopedics department of Sichuan Provincial People's HospitalFor modern people, sitting and standing for a long time is already the norm. So, which is more harmful to the body: sitting, standing, lying, or walking for a long time?Long sittingEasy to cause lumbar disc herniationEasy to cause lumbar disc herniationThe 'lumbar intervertebral disc' is the connection between the lumbar vertebrae, similar to a soft cushion that can cushion strong vibrations from the outside of the body, maintain spinal height, and maintain spinal mobility
Expert in this article: Xiao Chengwei, attending physician in the orthopedics department of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital
For modern people, sitting and standing for a long time is already the norm. So, which is more harmful to the body: sitting, standing, lying, or walking for a long time?
Long sitting
Easy to cause lumbar disc herniation
Easy to cause lumbar disc herniation
The 'lumbar intervertebral disc' is the connection between the lumbar vertebrae, similar to a soft cushion that can cushion strong vibrations from the outside of the body, maintain spinal height, and maintain spinal mobility.
Poor habits such as incorrect sitting posture and prolonged sitting can significantly increase the stress on the lumbar intervertebral disc, and the posterior part of the disc continues to be squeezed. Over time, lumbar disc herniation forms and pain symptoms occur.
In addition to causing lumbar disc herniation, prolonged sitting can also easily lead to lower limb venous thrombosis. Sitting for a long time can affect the blood circulation in the human body, slowing down the speed of blood flow and increasing the likelihood of venous thrombosis in the lower limbs.
After the formation of a venous thrombosis in the foot, the thrombus blocks the blood vessels, causing the return of blood to be blocked, thereby causing the blood to coagulate into a thrombus. When a thrombus spreads all the way to the larger diameter iliac vein and inferior vena cava, due to the larger blood vessels, some of the blood flow will wash away the thrombus, causing a large thrombus to fall off. Once a large thrombus falls off, it can cause a large area of pulmonary embolism, with a very high mortality rate.
Dr. Xiao reminds that if you have to sit for a long time due to work and study reasons, it is recommended to put a cushion on your waist and maintain a good sitting posture. If possible, you can sit for 40 minutes and stand up to move around.
Jiuzhan
Beware of varicose veins in the lower limbs
Dr. Xiao reminds that prolonged standing can easily lead to varicose veins in the lower limbs!
The most common appearance of varicose veins in daily life is that the lower limb blood vessels are like "worms". The harm of varicose veins is mainly due to venous hypertension, which ultimately leads to lower limb soreness, fatigue, and pain in patients; Skin color changes, rashes; Skin ulcers, difficult to heal
Over time, the symptoms gradually worsen, which seriously affects the patient's quality of life.
In terms of lifestyle and work habits, in order to prevent varicose veins, the first step is to try to avoid prolonged standing and sitting still.
Secondly, calf muscle contraction can effectively assist in venous reflux in the lower limbs. So appropriate exercise is beneficial for promoting venous reflux.
If due to the nature of the job, it is inevitable to stand or sit for a long time, medical intravenous elastic socks (primary pressure) can be worn for prevention.
Long lying down
Although seemingly harmless, there are risks involved
Compared to the first two, lying down for a long time may be better because lying down causes less damage to the spine and is less likely to cause lumbar disc herniation.
However, lying down for a long time without a pillow may cause damage to the cervical spine, "Dr. Xiao added. Many people may feel neck pain when they wake up after lying for a long time, and it's uncomfortable to do anything about it. The root cause of these problems is closely related to cervical joint dislocation.
Long term lying in the wrong position is highly likely to result in cervical spondylosis. If it is due to the incorrect height of the pillow and poor sleeping posture, the likelihood of cervical problems is higher.
Dr. Xiao reminds that if you want to lie down for a long time, it is best to choose a suitable pillow, and the height of the pillow should match the curvature of the cervical spine.
Relieve the hazards of prolonged sitting, standing, and lying down
One method - exercise!
Since sitting, standing, lying, and walking for long periods of time are not good, how can they alleviate the harm they bring?
There is only one method, which is exercise! After maintaining a posture for a long time, be sure to get up and exercise.
A study in the 2021 British Journal of Sports Medicine pointed out that there is an optimal formula for offsetting the harm of sedentary behavior through exercise. Researchers have found that a 1:3 "package" ratio is the best, meaning that every hour of sitting, 3 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise or 12 minutes of mild exercise are the best way to improve health and reduce the risk of premature death. In other words, combining exercise with different forms of activity can counteract the harm of prolonged sitting.
Low intensity exerciseThe center rate during exercise generally does not exceed 100 beats per minute, such as walking.
Moderate intensity exerciseThe center rate of the exercise process is generally between 100-140 beats per minute, such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, Tai Chi, tennis doubles, etc.
High intensity exerciseExercise with a heart rate exceeding 140 beats per minute, such as running, fast cycling, fast-paced fitness exercises, and fast mountain climbing, stair climbing, tennis singles, etc.
Remember not to maintain the same posture for a long time, be sure to move around.
This article was first published by a famous Sichuan doctor from Chengdu Business Daily on May 1st, 2023. "Who harms the body more? Orthopedic doctors from provincial hospitals tell the truth." Some content has been deleted, and the copyright belongs to the original author.
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