3 Habits That Secretly Cut Short Your Lifespan

Avoid these habits that contribute to early death.

Photo by Steve Ding on Unsplash

Everybody wants to live a long life, but why do some people don’t and others live longer?

Most people think it’s because of their genes—some people inherit genes that help them avoid certain diseases and live longer.

The environment you live in and the healthcare you get also play a big part in how healthy you are and how long you live.

But you can’t control your genes, and if you’re born in a country where life expectancy is low, you may not have access to the best healthcare.

However, there’s another important factor that many people overlook—your habits and lifestyle

Unhealthy habits can seriously shorten your life, often by 5 years or even more.

Here are some risky habits that scientists say are the biggest culprits.

Excessive Sitting Can Take About 2 Years Away From You

Many people don’t realize just how dangerous sitting for long hours can be to health.

Science defines “excessive sitting” as sitting for more than 8-10 hours a day.

The average person sits for about 12 hours per day. This includes time spent sitting at work, during commutes, and while watching TV or using electronic devices at home.

When you add this up over a year, it amounts to approximately 2,555 to 3,650 hours of sitting.

To put this in perspective, it’s like sitting through every single episode of The Simpsons back-to-back more than 100 times. It’s also equivalent to taking a round-the-world flight 500 times, spending every second of those trips in your seat.

This massive amount of sitting time highlights just how much of our lives are spent being inactive, which can seriously impact our health

It’s no surprise that excessive sitting is linked to numerous health problems, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. In fact, sitting for long periods ranks as the 4th leading cause of death in the world, claiming about 3.2 million lives every year.