'Silent killer' of office workers

Sitting in one place for long periods of time can cause a series of bone, joint, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases - Photo: NGUYEN HIEN

Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that varicose veins of the lower extremities are common in about 35% of working people... Some studies show that people who spend more time sitting have a higher risk of diabetes.

Despite warnings, many young people still cannot change this habit.

Get sick from sitting too much

Many young people are only in their 30s or a little older but their bones and joints are like they are in their 60s. As an administrative employee at an import-export company in Hanoi, Minh Anh (32 years old) spends more than 8 hours a day sitting in front of a computer screen, processing documents, data and reports. The job seems easy but it brings many health problems that Minh Anh did not expect.

At first, Minh Anh only felt tired in her neck and shoulders after long working hours. But gradually, the pain spread to her back, making it difficult for her to bend or turn. Not to mention the numbness in her limbs, especially when sitting for long periods of time with little movement.

Not only her bones and joints, Minh Anh's legs also began to show signs of varicose veins. Pale blue veins appeared, and she felt tense every time she stood up or sat down. Sometimes her legs felt heavy and painful in the evening, due to sitting in one position for too long, and blood circulation was not good.

At the medical facility, Minh Anh was diagnosed by the doctor with early cervical spondylosis, along with the risk of disc herniation due to incorrect sitting posture and lack of exercise.

Perhaps Minh Anh’s condition is also the condition of many office workers. At first, it was just a fleeting pain, but gradually it became a chronic disease. The most common of these are musculoskeletal diseases such as cervical spondylosis, herniated discs, etc.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung - Director of the Musculoskeletal Center, Bach Mai Hospital - commented that musculoskeletal diseases seem to be appearing in younger people.

Especially osteoarthritis in young people is related to sedentary habits, sedentary lifestyle, little movement, sitting a lot, obesity.

According to Associate Professor Hung, having to work on a computer every day inevitably affects the musculoskeletal system. Standing or sitting for too long will reduce blood circulation in the legs, making the buttocks and hips less flexible.

Bones gradually become thinner, more brittle and more likely to break. The bones of the arms and wrists are constantly working with the mouse and keyboard, causing the muscles to be under pressure from continuous activity.

The habit of sitting for a long time, continuously for more than 2 hours will tire the muscles next to the spine, causing us to hunch and bend forward, causing tension in the muscles and ligaments behind the spine. The fatigue of this supporting system causes pain, which in the long run leads to damage to the vertebrae, herniated discs, cervical spondylosis...

Young people with a series of incurable diseases

Medical experts say that people who sit for long periods of time and have little exercise are also at risk of obesity and fat accumulation, especially in the abdomen. In addition, the digestive system, including organs such as the stomach, intestines, colon, etc., will tend to digest slowly, affecting the ability to metabolize nutrients from food.

Therefore, people who sit a lot are more likely to experience symptoms such as belching, constipation, etc. Sitting for a long time also makes it easier to get hemorrhoids due to long-term constipation.

In particular, some studies show that people who spend more time sitting have a 112% higher risk of developing diabetes. Dr. Nguyen Quang Bay, head of the endocrinology and diabetes department at Bach Mai Hospital, also said that diabetes is increasingly common in young people.

"Previously, type 2 diabetes was common in people over 40 years old, a high-risk group, but now it is quite common in young people under 35 years old. Obesity is closely related to diabetes.

In reality, today's lifestyle changes, less exercise (in the past, walking and cycling were the means of transport, now riding motorbikes and cars also reduces human movement), sitting and watching TV a lot, eating fatty foods... are factors that increase diabetes," said Dr. Bay.

Stand up to stay healthy

According to Dr. Bay, 90% of type 2 diabetes can be prevented by changing lifestyle, controlling weight, diet, and physical exercise. "Therefore, each person needs to maintain a reasonable weight with a scientific diet, maintaining regular physical activity for at least 30 minutes/day," Dr. Bay recommends.

For office workers who often have to sit for long periods of time at work, Dr. Hung recommends not sitting continuously for more than 3 hours a day. In addition to affecting the musculoskeletal system, it can also cause heart damage and varicose veins.

"Every 1-2 hours, we can stand up and move around or do some light exercises, do some other activities like drinking water... Rest and move around for about 5-7 minutes before returning to work.

In addition, when working, you need to pay attention to keep the computer screen straight with the eye angle, you should use a flat chair that can be adjusted in height, a sturdy chair... Adjust so that when your hands are placed on the keyboard, they are straight, avoiding muscle spasms and eye strain," Dr. Hung advised.

Exercises to prevent the risk of cervical spondylosis

Nurse Nguyen Thi Thanh, Department of Internal Medicine, 108 Military Central Hospital, guides some cervical spine exercises to prevent the risk of degeneration.

Exercise 1: Cervical spine flexion: sit up straight, bend your head forward, chin as close to your chest as possible, then return to the starting position, do 5 - 10 times.

Cervical spine stretch: sit up straight, tilt your head back as far as possible, then return to the starting position.

Exercise 2: Tilt the cervical spine: sit up straight, place your hand on the opposite ear, gently tilt your head and hold for 2 minutes, then do the same with the opposite side.

Exercise 3: Rotate the cervical spine: turn your head to both sides, as far as possible, eyes looking down at your shoulders. Do it slowly, avoid sudden changes in posture.

Combined with regular rest and exercise, you can avoid many musculoskeletal diseases caused by sitting too much.

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