The Health Issues From Sitting in Front of Computers All Day

Ah, the 9-5. The beautiful workday of eight hours staring at our screen. If only it was actually eight hours. As most people know from first-hand experience, the workday is getting longer and longer. And to add to that, after work, people are still glued to their computers.

As society has changed in the past century, many people now work in jobs that require them to sit for long periods of the day and stare at computer screens. This change has been made even worse in the past year due to the pandemic. With work from home becoming the new norm for so many, more and more time is spent sitting in front of computers.

There have been many other issues in the spotlight, and rightfully so, during 2020 and into 2021. But one area that people need to be more aware of is the health issues caused by sitting and being on computers all day.

Even with people’s increased knowledge and efforts of good health, they can overlook certain areas. People nowadays are eating better, working out more, staying in shape, and looking for the next big health trend. Yet why are so many people ignoring a blatantly obvious health issue?

Issues With Sitting

6.5 hours a day. That’s the time the average American adult spends sitting each day. This data from 2019, shows that the time spent sitting each day is up by an hour a day since 2007. For teenagers, it is even worse. They sit on average 8 hours a day. A third of the day! Everyday!

A big reason for the increase is the use of computer time outside of work or school. All age groups have seen an increase in computer time in the past decade. And it is reasonable to assume this time has only increased due to the pandemic.

There are a variety of health risks from sitting too much. There are short term and long term issues. The most alarming is that some of these risks lead to an increased risk of dying. Sitting too much can kill you, who knew.

Sitting too much can lead to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. All of these are serious issues.

Not enough physical activity paired with sitting too much can lead to muscles and bones weakening, and negatively affect blood circulation and the immune system. It also leads people to not get the boost in energy, mood, and sleep quality that comes from regular activity.

Solution: Every thirty minutes you should make a conscious effort to stand up. Take a few steps around, whether going to get a drink of water or going to the bathroom. Every two hours try to go for a short walk, outside if possible.

Issues With Screens

In addition to sitting, another health issue from sitting in front of computers all day is the time spent looking at screens. Unlike sitting, screens are a somewhat new addition to people’s lives. They have exploded into people’s lives in the past century, especially in the last two decades.

Screen time can consist of many forms. It can be from phones, tablets, computers, TVs, or any other electronic device. For those that work in an office job, the time spent looking at a screen is unavoidable. The key is to reduce the time spent looking at screens recreationally. The average adult spends almost 11 hours a day looking at screens.

As you can imagine, there are many health issues resulting from this. Again, there are long term and short terms impacts of too much screen time. In the short term, risks include eye strain, headaches, poor sleep, and neck, shoulder, or back pain.

Longer-term risks include tendonitis, carpal tunnel, and long term vision problems. Since screens are relatively new, there is still not enough research on other potential long term health issues resulting from overuse.

Solution: Remember the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look away at something that is 20 feet away from you for a total of 20 seconds. Also, try to limit your screen time after work and right before bed.

Final Thoughts

Knowing the health issues is only half the battle. The other half is implementing change in your life to make a meaningful impact. The choices we make every day can have an effect on our near and long term health.

We may not always be able to control how much we sit in front of computers all day. But we should be aware of the associated health issues and how to mitigate them.