Negative Effects of a Sedentary Lifestyle and How PT Can Help

Do you feel tired or sluggish? Do you sometimes have difficulty motivating yourself to get moving? Living a sedentary lifestyle is a common culprit of low energy. A sedentary lifestyle is characterized by a lot of sitting and not much physical activity or exercise. For example, some people spend their life with a long commute to work, sitting at a desk all day at work, and then coming home and sitting down to watch TV all evening.

While it may not seem to be making a big impact on your body at the moment, a sedentary lifestyle can damage your body over time.

An inactive lifestyle can have the following effects on your body:

Decreased muscle strength and endurance

Fewer calories burned leading to weight gain

Stiff joints that are more prone to degenerative changes over time

Decreased circulation

Weaker bones

Weaker immune system, leading to more sickness

Increased inflammation in the body, which can lead to more aches and pains

As you participate in less and less physical activity, your body starts to weaken and as time goes on, starts to break down. This can lead to increased risk for injuries, disease, and falls, which can then lead to severe and/or chronic pain.

Thankfully, physical therapists are experts at addressing old and new injuries that may have led to a decrease in physical activity. We can also address the musculoskeletal dysfunctions and adverse health effects brought on by a sedentary lifestyle.

We can provide an individualized physical therapy program to meet your needs and help you achieve your goals.

We will focus on:

Identifying your prior and current level of activity/fitness and working with you to create realistic goals

Educating you about the adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle and teaching you ways to increase your activity every day

Performing manual therapy interventions to reduce any pain that is present

Developing and progressing you through specific exercises at a rate that is safe and appropriate for you, in order to avoid further injury and build up your strength safely

Providing you with home exercises, knowledge, and other tools to ensure continued wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle once you complete physical therapy with us

If you would like help in living a healthier and more active life, please reach out to us to schedule an evaluation! We would love to work with you and help you achieve your functional and personal goals.