Spread the Ayurveda Goodness

Over the years, we humans have gone from being active and outdoors to living a sedentary lifestyle. Most of our activities involve sitting – social networking, working, studying, traveling, eating out with friends, watching movies, reading…What are the sedentary lifestyle effects on our physical and mental health? As per Ayurveda as well as conventional medicine, this is a dangerous way to live. Take a look at these sedentary lifestyle health risks and you will agree.

Sedentary Lifestyle Health Risks

1. Your Kapha Dosha Increases.

Sitting for long hours without exercise aggravates Kapha dosha which causes dullness, coldness, heaviness, drowsiness, and excess mucous in the body. Kapha aggravation further leads to a range of associated disorders ranging from hormonal imbalance to depression.

2. You Gain Weight More Easily.

A sedentary lifestyle and obesity are interlinked. As we just mentioned, sitting for long hours without exercise increases Kapha. As a result of Kapha aggravation, a lot of fat and toxins get accummulated in the body and this develops into obesity. To prevent this, make sure you keep taking breaks from sitting and exercise regularly.

3. Your Heart Also Suffers.

Another among the sedentary lifestyle effects is cardiovascular damage. Being a couch potato increases cholesterol in the body. It also increases the risk of hypertension. If you’ve been living a sedentary life for many years, it’s a good idea to get checked for any possible cardiovascular effects.

4. You Don’t Feel So Good.

Did you know that increased anxiety and depression are sedentary lifestyle health risks? Blood doesn’t flow properly and your body is not able to burn off stress hormones when you don’t move enough. Feel good hormones like dopamine are also not generated as much as when you move. As a result, you end up feeling low and easily stressed.

5. Your Energy Levels Are Low.

When you spend most of your time sitting, you notice that you’re not as energetic as before or as compared to folks who are more active. Reasons for this are reduction in muscle mass, weight gain, accummulation of toxins as well as weaker digestion. As you increase your physical activeness, your stamina will also rise.

**6. Your Agni Becomes Weaker.**

Among the sedentary lifestyle effects is a weaker agni (fire). Being sedentary reduces body temperature and thus cools down agni. Agni governs vital functions such as digestion, cellular metabolism, intellect, and vision. When it weakens, all these functions of the body don’t run smoothly.

7. Sleep Quality Also Reduces.

To rest well, your body needs to be tired first. Without sufficient physical movement, your body doesn’t generate enough relaxation and happiness hormones. A good solution? Start your day with yoga or another form of exercise. This will improve your sleep-wake rhythm and bring better hormonal balance. You’ll sleep like a baby!

So, we hope that you are now convinced to be more active. Did you know that Ayurveda recommends exercising as per your dosha? Learn all about it here.

Note: Posts on Ayurvedum are solely for the purpose of sharing the goodness of Ayurveda and bringing awareness about natural and healthy living. Please do not substitute it for professional medical advice. Ingredients discussed can interfere with certain medications. So, before using anything to treat yourself, always consult an Ayurveda doctor or practitioner.