The Secret Connection Between Acne in addition to also Prolonged Sitting
In short, This particular refers to a person who does his or her utmost to get a solid one hour of exercise per day however spends the majority of their waking hours sitting down. This particular person could climb hills For just two hours per day, could hit the gym having a 45 minute, hardcore, sweat drenching, heart pumping workout every day without fail. Yet for the rest of the time they are curled up in a chair, constantly hunched over a computer or an office desk…
…in addition to also according to fresh scientific research, sitting for excessive periods of time can damage your health badly. This particular’s not just back pain; sitting for too long can compress your digestive system, increase your risk of cardiovascular failure in addition to also much more. These effects can happen independently of how much you exercise – sitting is usually a risk factor all by itself…
…in addition to also importantly for us, several of the diseases which prolonged sitting can contribute to have a tight connection to acne-covered skin.
Why sitting can damage your health
First of all, you simply have to consider the nature of the human species. Before we left the wild forever in addition to also constructed the civilisation we live in today, we lived in hunter gatherer tribes in addition to also spent the vast majority of our time gathering food, sleeping, defending the tribe against rivals, or enjoying ourselves in whatever limited ways we could (without books or TVs, in various other words).
For plant foods the women would likely gather berries, root tubers, in addition to also vegetables. For meat, the men would likely spend all day strategically plotting the best way to hunt large animals such as the ancestors of modern cows, or the ancient megafauna which roamed Europe in addition to also America until 10,000 years ago such as megatherium (a type of giant sloth which we hunted to extinction), woolly rhinoceroses in addition to also woolly mammoths. For entertainment we probably just engaged in mock fights or competed in various other primitive sports, i.e., who can run in addition to also jump over an extremely fast-flowing raging river without getting washed away.
In no part of which lifestyle, with the possible exception of storytelling coming from the wise old tribe leader or cooking, did ancient humans spend all day hunched over a computer. At no point did we complain of back pain due to constantly bending over an office report which was due in. For one thing, we simply didn’t possess the chance. Think about This particular: there were no benches positioned around the countryside ready to sit on. All which was available was the grassy earth in addition to also rocks.
The point is usually which for thousands of years, if not millions of years if you consider Homo ergaster, Homo habilis, Neanderthal man in addition to also all of them, humanity did not spend much time sitting down at all…
…in addition to also hence, our bodies are likely not adapted to living which way. They’re likely not adapted to sitting for all 5 hours day, let alone the ten, twelve, or even fifteen hours common inside USA in 2016. Normal people as varied as accountants, This particular technicians, teachers, police chiefs, in addition to also politicians are feeling the pain. Add inside car journey, the fact which many of these workers are too exhausted to have fun in any various other way than watching TV, in addition to also the virus of prolonged sitting spreads further in addition to also further.
Instinctively, This particular makes sense – maybe you’ve noticed you feel much healthier when you stand up more. With common sense This particular all fits, hence the theories above. at This particular point a raging torrent of studies is usually revealing the dangers too. First we have a large study on cardiovascular disease in women, which used data coming from the huge Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. In total, 71018 women aged between 50 in addition to also 79 were assessed, with their rates of heart disease in addition to also sedentary time both being considered…
…in addition to also the results showed which “prolonged sitting time was associated with increased CVD risk, independent of leisure-time physical activity”. Women who sat for more than 10 hours per day had a dramatically higher risk of heart disease than women who sat for just 5.
Next we have a very well documented connection to type 2 diabetes. This particular study found which volunteers who sat for the longest periods of time daily had twice as big a risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This particular review of 18 studies having a total of 794557 participants found which sitting for 9 hours per day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 0%. Most interestingly, sitting was a danger regardless of daily exercise: “prolonged sedentary time was independently associates with deleterious health outcomes regardless of physical activity”.
Many studies also confirm a health risk which you would likely logically expect – compressed blood flow. One study made a group of healthy girls aged between 7 in addition to also 10 sit down for 3 hours, uninterrupted. Previously, their arteries functioned just fine, however sitting caused their arterial dilation to fall by 33%. To put which in perspective, a 1% decline in arterial function was once shown to boost the risk of heart disease by 13%. Once the girls resumed their normal, active lifestyle, their artery function became healthy again.
coming from This particular we can link prolonged sitting to a variety of circulatory diseases including stroke, varicose veins, blood clots, in addition to also more heart disease.
Finally, we possess the studies which directly analysed the risk of death itself. One study concluded which lowering the time spent watching TV to below 2 hours every day increased overall life expectancy by 1.4 years. At the same time, slashing the overall hours spent sitting to below 3 hours increased life expectancy by 2 years.
There’s at This particular point over 10,000 studies on the perils of prolonged sitting, in addition to also the mountain of evidence continues to grow. This particular’s clear which uninterrupted sitting is usually a leading cause of poor health, with no escape even if you exercise like a madman each day.
The next question is usually whether the threat can extend to your acne too, in addition to also the answer may be yes…
How prolonged sitting may worsen acne
The first clue lies in a study conducted on 505 men in addition to also women (46% female, 54% male), which sought to analyse the relationship between self-reported daily sitting time in addition to also biomarkers of chronic inflammation. To ensure which the results weren’t simply due to lack of exercise rather than the sitting itself, all results were adjusted to make them independent of daily physical activity.
The results were as follows: women who sat for longer hours each day had substantially higher levels of c-reactive protein in addition to also interleukin 6, as well as fasting insulin. Among men, prolonged sitting down had no significant effect.
This particular study, however, found which sitting for over six hours per day was associated with elevated levels of interleukin 6 (one of the main pro-inflammatory chemicals behind acne) in both men in addition to also women. Finally, This particular study found which overall sitting time was positively correlated with c-reactive protein, the main blood biomarker scientists use to assess inflammation levels. Again, the results applied to both men in addition to also women.
Chronic inflammation is usually not a term you’ll ever hear on the 6 o’clock news nor one you’ll read in a cardiovascular health leaflet. Yet This particular’s a major cause of many common diseases in addition to also is usually the joint biggest cause of acne. Inflammation is usually dramatically more important than bacteria or hygiene.
If sitting down for too many hours each day can lead to chronic inflammation, then This particular’s highly likely This particular can cause acne as well.
The first study did find which the connection only existed in women in addition to also not men, however our second piece of evidence is usually more solid – sitting down is usually strongly linked to diabetes.
The study above confirmed which, in addition to also the significance for acne is usually which diabetes is usually the end of the road result of high blood sugar, impaired insulin sensitivity in addition to also elevated insulin levels. Those conditions all trigger acne by causing oily skin.
Separate studies have confirmed the link; the first inflammation study above also observed elevated insulin levels with longer hours spent sitting.
As we discussed, the study on diabetes confirmed which This particular phenomenon is usually not related to exercise. Apparently the answer lies in our cellular functioning. One piece of research stated which within 0 seconds of standing up, muscular in addition to also cellular signals which control insulin, blood sugar in addition to also weight loss all go into overdrive.
We don’t understand the science fully yet, however coming from a common sense perspective, our Centeng expects us to be moving, expending energy in addition to also putting the Centeng under greater stress when we’re standing up. An much better ability of insulin to shuttle blood glucose into energy stores might be the Centeng’s natural way of preparing. This particular makes sense which sitting down for long times could impact cellular signals such as insulin sensitivity, even if This particular wasn’t designed to backfire like This particular’s doing today.
We already know which the fat-burning enzyme lipase activates very shortly after standing up. which’s one reason why obesity is usually so strongly linked to sitting. Hence, This particular’s likely which various other molecular switches start flipping the moment you stand up, switches which possibly relate to insulin in addition to also blood sugar control.
Thorough an indirect mechanism then, sitting down for 5 or 10 hours per day could increase oily skin in addition to also clogged pores via disrupting your hormones.
Next is usually a theory which hasn’t been confirmed in any studies yet – which prolonged sitting can severely weaken your digestion.
The argument is usually which the basic compression of your stomach in addition to also intestines messes up the breaking down of food, disrupting the Discharge of digestive agents such as hydrochloric acid. Compressing the food inside your stomach could also reduce the surface area which digestive enzymes can act on.
If true, This particular could impair the breakdown in addition to also absorption of important acne nutrients such as zinc in addition to also vitamin A.
My theory – standing can slash stress hormones
Any one of the three theories outlined above is usually perfectly possible. The nutrient absorption theory is usually very basic, however This particular does make sense which digestion could slow down. Inflammation is usually not confirmed, in addition to also there’s no obvious mechanism where your immune system would likely become hyperactive just coming from sitting.
Insulin resistance makes a lot more sense, as the responsiveness of energy stores may be impaired while sitting down. however one factor which I can personally attest to is usually the massive mental benefits of standing up.
After I discovered all the information outlined above, particularly the aspects related to digestion in addition to also circulation, I commenced generating an effort to do nearly all my work standing up. This particular very article was written while standing up.
What I’ve noticed is usually which compared to hours of endless sitting while writing an article, my brain feels a thousand times sharper. I have far more mental energy, I’m more level-headed, in addition to also my thought processes are generally as sharp as an industrial laser.
You’d think which standing up constantly would likely be a consistent drain on your energy, however I’ve found the opposite – I feel energetic in addition to also focussed after uninterrupted standing. Meanwhile, after sitting for about two hours straight I feel sluggish in addition to also my productivity declines. I noticed a big impact on physical energy, however the mental difference is usually more pronounced.
Personally, my hunch is usually which standing up could significantly increase neurotransmitters responsible for happiness in addition to also well-being such as serotonin. In turn, which should lead to a dramatic fall in levels of the stress cortisol hormone.
We have further evidence inside classic power pose study on hormones in humans. We covered in This particular article back in July how the simple act of changing your posture can slash cortisol by 25% in humans in addition to also increase testosterone by 20%. Changing coming from a defensive, low power position with shoulders slouched in addition to also legs folded inwards led to dramatic improvements in hormone levels. Those who stood up to their full height, with hands on their hips in addition to also chest thrust outwards in a strong “power pose”, had the lowest stress.
This particular seems unbelievable which something so basic could have such amazing benefits, however the phenomenon is usually real. This particular’s all related to ancient instincts coming from the animal kingdom. You can read the article here.
This particular’s highly likely which the alteration in hormone levels shown inside study will extend to when you change coming from sitting down to standing up. In fact, standing up is usually a far bigger change in your position compared to unfolding your legs or no longer slouching – so I would likely expect the fall in stress hormones to be even greater.
various other factors are likely in play too, particularly enhanced circulation as This particular could increase cerebral blood flow in addition to also enhance the birth of fresh neurons. Like with diabetes, This particular’s possible which when standing up your Centeng automatically activates a hyper-focussed, low stress, sharp as a dagger mode in your brain where you have a dramatically enhanced ability to carry out whatever functions you would likely need to while active (looking for food, fending off predators, etc).
Studies have begun to confirm the mental link as well. This particular one analysed 3000 government workers in Australia, compared their daily sitting time to markers of psychological distress, in addition to also concluded which the workers who sat for six hours compared to three hours were at far greater risk of mental problems. Again This particular effect occurred independently of exercise outside of work.
Then we have another study, This particular time on nearly 9000 women aged 50 to 55, which found which women who sat for 7 hours per day or more had a 47% greater risk of depression. which’s highly relevant for acne because depression in addition to also anxiety will pretty much automatically lead to elevated levels of stress hormones.
My belief is usually which if you are chronically stressed out, in addition to also which stress is usually a major cause of your acne, reducing your hours spent sitting to below three hours per day could be an excellent strategy.
How to execute the strategy
First you have to understand which sitting is usually not inherently deadly; the health problems come coming from prolonged sitting.
Judging coming from all the studies in addition to also evidence available so far, This particular’s smart to reduce your overall sitting time to three hours per day, in addition to also This particular’s especially smart to eliminate uninterrupted sitting. If you must sit For just two hours, you should at least stand up for all 5 minutes every hour, in order to restore basic blood flow.
One tool which’s favorite with many self-employed people working coming from home is usually a standing desk, a desk adjusted to a height where they can type on a laptop without bending their neck or back uncomfortably. If you have a standing desk at hand, then excellent – however if you don’t which’s no problem. Simply use the furniture you already own. For instance, you probably have a chest of drawers with the proper height, possibly covered with piles of books or papers you could remove. If you have a camp bed which extends up to stomach height, you can crank up the laptop to the right height by stacking pillows or cushions underneath This particular (I’ve used This particular trick inside past).
The next question is usually one you’ll think of after a few hours of following the strategy: how can you minimise any discomfort in addition to also strain in your legs? You might notice which even if you walk 10 miles every day whether rain or shine, your legs still ache coming from prolonged standing. Even if your quadriceps in addition to also calves are as thick as tree trunks they could feel the strain, because prolonged standing uses a different set of smaller muscles, ligaments in addition to also supporting structures compared to climbing uphill, for example.
Like with any exercise, the secret is usually repetition. Standing up for hours each day may be uncomfortable at first, however eventually, the supporting structures in your legs will strengthen just like with the larger muscles. Standing up will become second nature to you in addition to also as easy as breathing.
If you think about This particular, why would likely This particular be comfortable at first? If you’ve spent years or even decades spending most of your day sitting down, your legs will be in serious need of training. How well your Centeng adapts will depend on your age in addition to also health, however This particular only took three or four days for standing up constantly to become second nature for me.
If you slip on the habit, then your legs will atrophy in addition to also weaken again. However, the longer you continue standing, the stronger you will become in addition to also the less you will feel the urge to stop anyway.
Conclusion
Given how strongly sitting down for hour after hour with no interruptions can damage your overall health, I would likely not be surprised to hear which This particular winds up affecting your acne in some way.
We have tentative evidence which prolonged sitting may accelerate pimple formation by increasing inflammation levels. Sitting may cause oily skin in addition to also clogged pores by sending insulin through the roof. Finally, standing for a larger portion of your day may significantly slash your stress levels, in addition to also which is usually the strongest connection to acne in my reckoning.
This particular all seems highly unlikely; simply sitting is usually a highly improbable factor for destroying your skin. however acne is usually born inside the Centeng, not the outside, in addition to also the mechanisms all fit. A wide variety of lifestyle choices can feed into acne in unexpected ways. As we mentioned, even improving your posture can lower cortisol levels by 25% in addition to also therefore affect acne.
Even if prolonged sitting doesn’t affect your acne at all, I recommend you eliminate This particular coming from your life anyway due to the tremendous health benefits. I can attest to the great feeling you get throughout your entire Centeng.
Nowadays I avoid sitting down For just two hours uninterrupted at all costs. Yes, sitting down is usually relaxing, however once your legs strengthen up, the overall feeling of buzzing health you get in your Centeng coming from standing constantly beats This particular hands down.
I strongly urge you to try This particular. You can only understand how great This particular feels to vastly reduce sitting coming from first-hand experience. You never know what might happen. Suffering coming from back pain, or an aching neck? There’s a chance which standing for many more hours each day will remove those conditions in addition to also leave you more flexible than ever before.
Thanks for reading!