With technology making life easier, the sedentary lifestyle in America has been on a rapid growth. As a result, people have started to face many health concerns. The ideal posture for humans is to be upright, in which the cardiovascular system works most efficiently. Sitting has been proven to lower metabolic rates, create excess fat, and increase blood pressure.

“Some negative effects are your legs falling asleep and the slow blood flow there due to sitting for too long. Another would be the build-up of fat through the long term and lower motivation by sitting in the same environment for too long,” said PUSD Student Rishima Agnihotri (‘23), 

Age and activity play a large role in dealing with health concerns, where younger people are normally more active, and older people tend to sit and rest.

“Time plays an important part. When you’re sitting, it varies for each person, but if you relax your muscles and give your body rest for too long, it could start to make your muscles sore afterwards,” said AV Cross Country Runner Sarvesh Sivaramen (‘26).

To counteract health concerns, there are plenty of ways to better one’s lifestyle. Taking breaks every 30 minutes from sitting can keep blood flowing through the body and having a standing desk can keep the body in an upright position. 

“In order to keep good posture and to be in a comfortable position, you should walk around as a break from sitting and develop core muscles. They also protect your lower back and they support your trunk and your torso. So by establishing a good core early on, you create less problems down the road like lower back issues and flexibility issues,” said AV Head Athletic Trainer Diana Hasenpflug.