{"id":59595,"date":"2022-06-16T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mivisalud.com\/blog\/sedentary-lifestyle-facts-causes-and-how-to-avoid-it-to-improve-your-health\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T19:14:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T17:14:22","slug":"sedentary-lifestyle-facts-causes-and-how-to-avoid-it-to-improve-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mivisalud.com\/en\/blog\/sedentary-lifestyle-facts-causes-and-how-to-avoid-it-to-improve-your-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Sedentary lifestyle: Facts, causes and how to avoid it to improve your health"},"content":{"rendered":" \n

From the Latin word sedere<\/em> (to be seated), comes the word sedentarismo (sedentary), which sounds so much when talking about unhealthy lifestyles<\/strong>. It is also common to hear the word sedentarism in consultations with orthopedic surgeons and nutritionists, since the little physical activity involved in sitting<\/em> for hours at a time is often closely linked to injuries and excess weight. <\/p> \n \n

“Walking is man’s best medicine.”<\/em><\/p> \n \n

Hippocrates (460-370 B.C.)<\/p> \n \n

Sedentary lifestyle: A preventable risk factor<\/strong><\/h2> \n \n

A sedentary lifestyle, together with a diet with an excess of fats and ultra-processed products, is one of the main risk factors for overweight and obesity. In Spain, although the practice of sports has been increasing in<\/a> recent years, the percentage of people who practice sports on a regular basis is around 40%. We are still far from being able to speak of a society with healthy physical activity habits. <\/p> \n \n

The WHO has been warning for years about the risks of sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity. Currently, sedentary lifestyles are among the main risk factors that cause the most deaths. It is second only to hypertension (HT), smoking and hyperglycemia. Interestingly, these risk factors, which have monopolized the top of the list for several decades, are preventable and directly related to lifestyle. Increased physical activity will help you to stop smoking, reduce AHT and better control blood glucose levels. In the following link, you can access the WHO Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary habits<\/a>. <\/p> \n \n

A sedentary lifestyle is closely linked to being overweight, so it is a habit that must be avoided to reduce the risk of suffering pain that can become chronic. As we saw in the article Excess weight, a burden for chronic pain, the regulation of weight and body composition are a priority when treating joint pain, disc protrusion and many other situations and pathologies that cause severe pain and reduce the quality of life of people who suffer from them. <\/p> \n \n

Recent studies<\/a> have also shown that exercise is very beneficial for maintaining brain health, and that it prevents cognitive decline and depression in old age.<\/p> \n \n

Main causes of sedentary lifestyles and how to avoid them<\/strong><\/h2> \n \n

The main reasons for the Spanish population to do sports are: Having fun, making friends and improving health. On the contrary, laziness, reluctance and age are the main obstacles for not doing a relevant physical activity during the week. <\/p> \n \n

The type of work largely determines a person’s physical activity. If you work sitting down for most of the working day, it is important to follow the following recommendations to reduce the negative impact of a sedentary lifestyle on your body: <\/p> \n \n