How Does Lack of Exercise Make You Sick?

We know it — yet we do nothing about it: people worldwide are moving less and less. Technical achievements of the 20th century such as escalators, cars, elevators, and similar transport or mobility aids do the rest to spare us physical effort. But the human body wasn't made to sit around for eight to ten hours a day in an office chair at a computer or desk.

Let's investigate: What exactly does a lack of exercise do to our body, and can a lack of movement really make us sick?

Sitting is the new smoking!

Almost everyone has surely heard this phrase in recent years. It has surfaced in the media time and again in the past. After decades of warning about smoking and its health consequences, everyone is well aware of those risks. Sitting, or generally not moving enough, is a different story. It's still a subtle issue — not as present in everyone's mind, and by no means is everyone aware of the impact on their physical health.

What are the consequences of a lack of exercise?

The human body is made for movement, not for staying still and remaining inactive. Hunter-gatherers in the Stone Age were constantly on the move, searching for food for their families and clans. In the Middle Ages, the majority of people belonged to the common folk rather than the nobility or the wealthy. They worked hard on their farms, cultivated fields, and almost all activities required massive physical effort. Accordingly, their metabolism was kept active at all times.

Nowadays, we spend a large portion of our day sitting, starting as early as elementary school: first at school desks, and later in our professional lives at office desks. Yet our body, our skeleton, is designed for movement. A daily hike of 20 to 30 kilometers? For our ancestors, that was no problem at all. For humans in the 21st century, it is rather the absolute exception—unless you are a high-performance athlete or a passionate hiker who sets off on a new local hiking trail every single weekend.

And without even realizing the consequences for our bodies, millions of Germans lay the groundwork day after day for noticeable physical health issues due to their sedentary lifestyle.

But what exactly are the effects when we spend most of our day sitting instead of moving? Severe ones, according to many researchers and numerous studies on the topic. Professor Dr. I-Min Lee from the Harvard School of Public Health states that 5.3 million people worldwide die each year due to a lack of physical activity. Smoking, by comparison, causes about 5 million deaths annually. Put simply: Apparently, more people die from a lack of movement than from tobacco use. Shocking. But what physical consequences does our current sedentary lifestyle actually have?

Here is a quick overview of the direct and indirect consequences of a lack of exercise:

• Muscle loss

It makes sense: muscles that the body doesn't need due to sitting so much become inactive over time and are eventually broken down. The body wants to work as efficiently as possible, so inactive muscles are just an unnecessary burden. The consequences of muscle loss are dramatic: bones and joints are no longer supported to the extent that a healthy skeleton requires. Joint stability decreases while the risk of injury increases. The risk of a heart attack increases, because the heart is a large muscle. If it isn't exercised or challenged, the risk of a heart attack rises.

Sitting in an awkward or un-ergonomic posture also puts heavy strain on the spine, putting you at risk of herniated discs and back pain.

• Headaches

All that sitting—especially in front of monitors—places extreme strain on the head and neck muscles. The result is tension in the neck and shoulder area, which in turn leads to headaches.

• Cardiovascular diseases

A lack of exercise can also lead to serious cardiovascular diseases. Due to inactivity, the heart muscle loses its performance capacity, which can result in high blood pressure and arrhythmias. The risk of strokes and heart attacks increases. The body essentially runs on low gear, making metabolic disorders such as diabetes another serious threat.

• Digestive problems

It's almost self-explanatory: if we sit at a desk for many hours every day in a slouched or hunched posture, the digestive organs don't get proper blood circulation, slowing down their function. The resulting consequences can include stomach ulcers or gastrointestinal diseases.

• Weakened immune system

When we exercise, our body produces many hormones that are important for the immune system. If this movement is missing, the immune system is no longer in top shape, making us more susceptible to illness.

Sitting for long hours every day affects not only our physical health but also our mental well-being. Work-related stress is usually offset very effectively by physical exercise and the associated release of hormones. If this movement is lacking, stress hormones cannot be broken down adequately, reducing your resilience and making you increasingly susceptible to stress.

Various studies and statistics show that the average adult sits for about 7.5 hours a day. If we add the average sleep duration of around six to eight hours, plus the time spent sitting in the car, on public transport, on the couch at home, and so on, there really isn't much time left that humans spend in an upright, active state. The problem is that the human body is subjected to excessive strain when we sit. Our bodies are simply not designed for it—it is hard labor for them.

So what can we do to combat everyday lack of exercise?

The secret lies in many small habits that increase daily movement. Don't set goals like "I'm going to work out intensely for an hour every day from now on." Hardly anyone sticks with that. It's much better to integrate small amounts of movement into your daily (work) routine:

• Get off the train or bus one or two stops before work and walk the rest of the way to work. The same goes for the way home. Or consider whether you couldn't just ride a bike to the office during the summer months.
  
  
• Take a small detour if your schedule allows and spend 20 minutes walking through the woods on the weekend or after work.
  
  
• Not every small errand needs to be done by car. Walk more often to do your shopping or go into town.
  
  
• Talk to your supervisor about options for ergonomic seating and a sit-stand desk that is height-adjustable, allowing for different postures while working.
  
  
• Meetings don't necessarily have to take place sitting around a table. Discuss the option of holding team meetings on the terrace or at a standing desk in the breakroom or meeting room. By the way, thinking and talking on the phone is easier when standing!
  
  
• Place the multifunction printer in the hallway on your floor so you always have to take a short walk to reach it.

So you see, it's the small changes that add up to benefit you and your body and get you moving. There are many more ways to loosen up your workday with a bit of movement—brainstorm with your colleagues and maybe even meet up for a quick walk around the block during your lunch break.