We have all done it. You say to yourself that only one more episode will do, and before you know it, it is daylight and you have watched an entire season of your favorite TV series in one sitting.
It’s easy to binge-watch and feel as if not guilty for doing so, but once you look deeper, you can see how this habit is gradually hurting you. Read on to see the many ways binge-watching is harmful and how the consequences are tied together.
Reason 1: Your Body Barely Moves, and That Adds Up
The first effect that occurs when you spend hours upon hours watching television is obvious: you sit for a long period of time. Because you have to watch more than one episode of your favorite TV series to really enjoy it, you may end up sitting for a very long time. This means that your heart and lungs don’t get the exercise they need to be healthy.
Which, in turn, means that cardiovascular fitness has silently sabotaged you. If you have ever checked your fitness level using an online vo2 max calculator, you already know that this number tells you roughly how well your heart and lungs deliver oxygen to your muscles. The less you move, the lower that number tends to drift over time. So even though a marathon TV session feels relaxing, your body is losing a bit of its stamina with every hour you stay glued to the screen. And this loss is slow and almost invisible, until you realize you can barely climb a flight of stairs.
Reason 2: Your Metabolism Slows Down Along With You
Now, since you tend to sit for most of the day, it is only reasonable that your metabolism has adopted a similar pattern in terms of activity. Your body needs calories to carry out its daily functions ranging from breathing to digestion and pumping blood throughout the body. This is called the basal metabolic rate. If you want to know what is my bmr, then you are in the right place.
Activity level plays a significant role in determining your BMR. This implies that you need to keep moving if you want to maintain a healthy body weight. Sitting in front of a tv screen or working desk burns fewer calories compared to working out. As a result, people who adopt a sedentary lifestyle are more prone to gradual weight gain over time as opposed to those who are always on the move.
Reason 3: Sleep Takes the Hit Next
Once your body and its metabolism start to cool down, sleep is one of the first things to go. Screens emit blue light, which tricks your brain into thinking it is daytime. Thus, your body stops producing the hormone needed to fall asleep, melatonin.
Consequently, you may find yourself lying awake in bed after a binge-watching session and a good night’s rest, exhausted. A disrupted sleep schedule can wreak havoc on most other parts of your life, such as your mood, concentration the next day, and your hunger levels.
Reason 4: Your Mind Gets Pulled Away From Real Life
A downside of binge watching is that it also consumes a lot of mental energy. Your time that could have been spent doing something worthwhile in the real world is being used up by the fictional drama unfolding on your TV or smartphone screen.
As a result, you might find yourself becoming less able to engage in activities that demand some level of patience, because you’ve conditioned yourself to always seek out the next dopamine hit. This can make day-to-day tasks feel less rewarding or enjoyable than they should be.
Final Thoughts
None of this means that watching T.V. is bad! It’s normal to want to relax by watching a good series, but it becomes problematic when it turns into sedentary behavior, irregular sleeping patterns and a stressful and unfocused brain.
Luckily, all of these issues can be avoided with minimal effort. Things like getting up and stretching in between episodes, limiting your time beforehand, and having a stopping point in mind can keep you enjoying your favorite shows for a long, long time.
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