Why sitting is bad for you - Murat Dalkilinç

為何坐著是有害健康的－ 穆拉・達克琳（Murat Dalkilinç）

譯者: 曉虹 陸 審譯者: Harry Chen

Right now, you're probably sitting down to watch this video

現在你大概正坐著要看這影片吧

and staying seated for a few minutes to view it is probably okay.

坐住幾分鐘來觀看它也許沒啥問題

But the longer you stay put, the more agitated your body becomes.

但是你一動也不動得越久 你的身體就會變得越焦慮

It sits there counting down the moments until you stand up again

它坐在那裡倒數著時間直到你再次起身

and take it for a walk.

帶著它去散個步

That may sound ridiculous.

這聽起來也許很荒謬

Our bodies love to sit, right?

我們的身體就喜歡坐著不是嗎？

Not really.

事實則不然

Sure, sitting for brief periods can help us recover from stress

坐一下子的確可以消除緊張

or recuperate from exercise.

或是運動後恢復體力

But nowadays, our lifestyles make us sit much more than we move around,

只不過當今的生活型態使得我們 坐著的時候遠遠多過於在動的時候

and our bodies simply aren't built for such a sedentary existence.

而我們的身體明明就不是 為了如此缺乏運動的生活而打造的

In fact, just the opposite is true.

事實上恰恰相反才對

The human body is built to move,

身體是為了移動而打造的

and you can see evidence of that in the way it's structured.

我們可從其架構之方式找到證據

Inside us are over 360 joints, and about 700 skeletal muscles

我們體內有超過 360 個關節

以及大約 700 條能讓輕鬆、 流利之動作體現的骨骼肌

that enable easy, fluid motion.

The body's unique physical structure gives us the ability to stand up straight

人體獨特的身體結構給了我們 抗拒重力的拉力而站直的能力

against the pull of gravity.

Our blood depends on us moving around to be able to circulate properly.

血液有賴於我們四處動 才有辦法完善地循環

Our nerve cells benefit from movement,

我們的神經細胞能從運動中受益

and our skin is elastic, meaning it molds to our motions.

皮膚是有彈性的 代表它可以貼合我們的動作

So if every inch of the body is ready and waiting for you to move,

假若全身上下都準備好了 就等著你去動

what happens when you just don't?

而你就是不動那會怎麼樣呢？

Let's start with the backbone of the problem, literally.

讓我們從這問題的「中樞」開始來講：

Your spine is a long structure

你的脊椎是由骨頭組成 而椎間盤坐落於其間的長條結構

made of bones and the cartilage discs that sit between them.

Joints, muscles and ligaments that are attached to the bones

附著於脊椎骨的關節、肌肉和韌帶 把它包覆在一起的

hold it all together.

A common way of sitting is with a curved back and slumped shoulders,

一般的坐法帶著微曲的背部、下放的雙肩

a position that puts uneven pressure on your spine.

是一種讓脊椎受力不均的姿勢

Over time, this causes wear and tear in your spinal discs,

長時間下來會造成椎間盤磨損、 過度操用部分韌帶與關節

overworks certain ligaments and joints,

and puts strain on muscles that stretch

以及對延展以配合你微曲 背姿的肌肉造成壓迫

to accommodate your back's curved position.

This hunched shape also shrinks your chest cavity while you sit,

當你彎腰坐著還會限縮到你的胸腔

meaning your lungs have less space to expand into when you breath.

表示當你呼吸時肺部只有 較小的空間能吸進擴張

That's a problem because it temporarily limits the amount of oxygen

這就是個問題了

因為它會暫時地限制住充填你的肺部 和濾進血液裡的氧氣量

that fills your lungs and filters into your blood.

Around the skeleton are the muscles, nerves, arteries and veins

骨骼週圍是組成人體軟組織層的 肌肉、神經與血管

that form the body's soft tissue layers.

The very act of sitting squashes, pressurizes and compresses,

「坐下」這動作就是在壓平、壓迫、擠壓

and these more delicate tissues really feel the brunt.

而且這些較為嬌嫩的細胞 確實感受得到壓力

Have you ever experienced numbness and swelling in your limbs when you sit?

你是否有過坐著時下肢麻木、腫脹?

In areas that are the most compressed,

承受最大壓力的部位中

your nerves, arteries and veins can become blocked,

神經、血管會被阻斷

which limits nerve signaling, causing the numbness,

阻礙神經訊號會導致下肢麻木

and reduces blood flow in your limbs, causing them to swell.

還有使流進下肢的血液變少 造成下肢水腫

Sitting for long periods also temporarily deactivates lipoprotein lipase,

長時間坐著還會暫時地讓 「脂蛋白脂肪酶」失去功用

a special enzyme in the walls of blood capillaries

那是一種特殊酶素 在血管壁裡摧毀血液當中的脂肪

that breaks down fats in the blood,

so when you sit, you're not burning fat nearly as well as when you move around.

所以在坐著時燃燒脂肪很難做到 接近與你在動的時候一樣好

What effect does all of this stasis have on the brain?

到底這種靜滯對大腦有什麼影響呢？

Most of the time, you probably sit down to use your brain,

絕大多數時間你大概是坐著動腦

but ironically, lengthy periods of sitting actually run counter to this goal.

不過諷刺的是久坐 事實上與這個目標背道而馳

Being stationary reduces blood flow

在靜止不動之下會讓血液流量 以及經肺部進入血液的氧含量變少

and the amount of oxygen entering your blood stream through your lungs.

Your brain requires both of those things to remain alert,

你的大腦要保持清醒兩者都需要

so your concentration levels will most likely dip

因此當你的大腦運作慢下來了

as your brain activity slows.

你的專注程度極可能下滑

Unfortunately, the ill effects of being seated don't only exist in the short term.

很不幸地一直坐著的負面影響 不是只限於短期而已

Recent studies have found that sitting for long periods

最近研究發現久坐與某些類型的 癌症、心臟疾病有關

is linked with some types of cancers and heart disease

and can contribute to diabetes, kidney and liver problems.

還會導致糖尿病與肝、腎之毛病

事實上研究人員們已經計算出在全世界

In fact, researchers have worked out that, worldwide,

inactivity causes about 9% of premature deaths a year.

欠缺運動造成一年大約 9 ％ 的早逝率

That's over 5 million people.

那可是5百多萬人呀

So what seems like such a harmless habit

所以這種看似無害之習慣者

actually has the power to change our health.

其實對健康影響深遠

But luckily, the solutions to this mounting threat are simple and intuitive.

不過幸好對這種積累性危害的 解決之道既簡單又不需動腦

When you have no choice but to sit,

當你非坐不可時

try switching the slouch for a straighter spine,

試著把無精打采的彎著腰 轉換成挺直的胸膛

and when you don't have to be bound to your seat,

而當你不必黏在位置上時

aim to move around much more,

訂下運動更多的目標吧

perhaps by setting a reminder to yourself to get up every half hour.

也許利用設定每半小時 站起來一次的提醒給自己

But mostly, just appreciate that bodies are built for motion, not for stillness.

最主要的是要理解你的身體 是為了動作而非呆滯而生

In fact, since the video's almost over, why not stand up and stretch right now?

這影片即將結束 何不站起來伸展一下呢

Treat your body to a walk.

犒賞身體去散個步

It'll thank you later.

稍後它將會感謝你的！

［課程設計：穆拉・達克琳］ ［敘述：艾迪森・安德森］

［動畫：Oxbow creative］