So many TV shows air on a daily basis making it difficult for people like you and me to stay on schedule, leading you to binge watch.
According to a recent study conducted on behalf of Netflix, 61 percent of TV streamers engage in binge watching.
A good session typically involves a comfy couch and some snacks. Sounds like your typical Sunday, am I right? Well unfortunately, the activity isn’t the best for your health.
Dr. Mayrene Hernandez of United Health Care has four things to consider next time you indulge in the latest addition to your preferred streaming service.
"I'm there too, I'm in the same situation when it comes to binge watching, but some of the concerns are difficulty sleeping, so falling asleep or a good quality sleep. That can lead you to having fatigue, you can imagine your muscles without moving or your bones for hours on end, it is definitely a problem. Then the other thing that you can have especially if you're laying down or sitting up, if you're sitting up the belly acts as a pulley to the back which can cause back pain and if you watch laying down, you're going to have neck pain due to the hyperextension of the neck. I think that from a clinical perspective, what worries me the most is that you can induce yourself into having some cardiovascular risks, especially if genetically you have a predisposition to having clots or having conditions like cancers. We call that a sedentary lifestyle where basically we see the lack of activity as a new smoking risk so it leads to obesity and other diseases, so it's something to keep in mind and remain active," said Dr. Hernandez.
Okay no reason to freak out! You can still binge-watch, but here are some healthier alternatives to think about.
"Now we can take out TV portable right, so we can take our devices wether it's our phones or laptop and we can put it on top of the treadmill which will help you remain active. Another thing is to take breaks! a lot of the binge watching are usually around episodes so take breaks often between the episodes and stretch which will help with the fatigue and the muscle pains," Dr. Hernandez.
Binge-watching every once in a while is probably not going to lead to long-term problems, but as with most things, moderation is key.
For more health tips and information, head to newsroom.Uhc.Com
