The corporate world is rewarding professionally but the fast-paced life there never stops and that can take a toll on your body. The corporate culture has ushered in a slew of lifestyle problems affecting its employees.
The long working hours, stress, lack of sleep, and sitting for long periods of time all are detrimental to your health. We provide a list of common diseases affecting people in the corporate sphere and ways to protect yourself from them.
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Back pain
The culprit: Sitting on a chair for extended periods of time can induce stress in the back, shoulders, and arms. When sitting on a chair, people tend to slouch down and this can overstrain the spinal ligaments.
Poor posture especially due to prolonged sitting on uncomfortable office chairs can lead to painful muscle spasms. The condition can deteriorate over time to disorders like scoliosis, kyphosis and even sciatica.
The solution: Prolonged static posture is the root of the problem. Remember to stretch and walk a little after an hour or so. Any minimal movement such as a walk to the bathroom will help. Also, avoid slouching over your desk while working.
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Heart Diseases
The culprit: Sitting for long and stress impair fat and sugar metabolism. A study was conducted by comparing the risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) between transit drivers and conductors of buses. The study found that men with jobs that involved more sitting had a higher risk of CHD despite other factors remaining the same.
The solution: Again, you must incorporate exercise in your routine and avoid sitting for long stretches together.
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Obesity
The culprit: Sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise contribute significantly to the accumulation of fat especially along the waist. Study after study has found that lack of sleep causes people to make unhealthier food choices. This coupled with stress that promotes the body to retain fat all make people in challenging roles more vulnerable to obesity. Obesity itself ups the risk of a range of diseases from heart diseases to diabetes.
The solution: Get adequate and uninterrupted sleep. It is not just quantity but quality that matters. Try to add a simple work out in your day. Fighting the bulge is hard but not impossible! Keep healthy snacks for yourself in the office and try to make healthier food choices.
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Diabetes
The culprit: Stress and the lack of physical activity means that your body is going to hoard on sugars and fats instead of breaking them down. Excessive sitting slows down our metabolism. Also, it seems that the act of sitting itself changes the way our cells react to the hormone insulin that helps break down sugar. Studies have suggested that even an extra hour spent sitting can up risk of diabetes significantly.
The solution: Try adding more movement into your day. Stand up and stretch every half hour or so. Touch your toes. Take a stroll around the office. Be active.
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Hypertension/ High Blood Pressure
The culprit: Stress and high salt intake coupled with lifestyle factors like smoking and alcohol can lead to hypertension. Eating meals at odd times and the dependence on junk food aggravate the situation. Obesity and diabetes can exist as comorbidities with hypertension.
The solution: Meditation and yoga can help with stress management. As always, physical activity can stop disease progression.
Making small changes like 30 mins of brisk walking can lead to significant changes in your health. Start now! Exercise and physical activity not only reduces the chances of diseases but also improves your mental well being.