Couch potatoes typically evoke images of obese, lazy untidy, unkempt slacker types. According to studies that have been reported, the likelihood of being overweight or obese increases with daily television viewing. There was a long-held notion that people who watched too much television gained weight because they ate more snacks. However, did you realize that lying down for extended periods of time actually poses health risks?
- How Being Lazy Affects Fat Cells, in simple terms, being inactive causes your body to create more fat within your already-existing fat cells, so the cells themselves become larger. Constantly applying pressure to your body's cells causes fat cells to spread out and grow bigger. These prolonged periods of sitting or resting horizontally where we put weight on parts of our bodies are referred to as "mechanical stretching loads."
- What's more concerning is that a growing body of data indicates that exercise, particularly strenuous activity like running or cycling, cannot "balance out" the negative impact that prolonged leisure time has on your body. This means that just while you worked out that day, you can't justifiably spend hours curled up in front of your television. Hours of inactivity have damaging, irreversible impacts on your body, which even an hour at the gym cannot undo.
- Preventing Cell Damage, researchers are currently investigating the precise minimum duration of a leisure activity necessary to induce these alterations in fat cells. For the time being, specialists advise keeping sedentary activity to one hour or fewer each day, which includes time spent watching television, playing video games, or browsing the internet.
For individuals who are finding it difficult to exercise as much as they know they should, a fresh and simple method of motivation. Imagine your brain slowly losing the blood supply it needs to function at its best and perhaps even starting to wither the next time you struggle to get out of bed or off of your cozy couch to lace up your gym sneakers. Perhaps that will work for you.
ZS DMO II Karla P. Calapardo, RND
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