Staying in bed might be a great way to recover, but it might not always be good for people, especially for extended periods of time. As such, a new trend called "Bed Rotting" is starting to pick up, but experts say it could lead to gastrointestinal problems.
Bed Rotting Trend
According to Newsweek, there is a new trend going on social platforms like TikTok called "bed rotting," which is often promoted as a form of self-care. However, experts are warning that overdoing this could lead to some unfavorable results.
This trend involves laying around in bed all day while only carrying out activities requiring only minimal movement. This involves watching TV, scrolling social media, or other activities that won't even require the individual to get out of bed.
DryftSleep, an account on TikTok, describes what bed rotting was and how it was often done by younger individuals who live a life with less stress. Redfield and Wilton Strategies recently conducted a poll to look at how frequent bed rotting was across different age generations.
The survey found that this activity was prominent among Gen X members but was still prominent in other age generations as well.
Survey on Bed Rotting
Out of the participants, the survey showed that bed rotting was common among 11% of millennials, 12% among Gen Z, and 17% among Gen X members. Although this practice was referred to as a self-care strategy, experts warn that it could cause gastrointestinal problems.
Martin Veysey, a Royal Darwin Hospital consultant, gastroenterologist, and general physician, gave her thoughts to Newsweek on bed rotting and what its effects were. She was also questioned regarding the effectiveness of exercise on gastrointestinal health.
Veysey, who is also a Flinders University professor of rural medicine, mentioned the importance of exercise when it comes to fighting gastrointestinal issues. She also said that being sedentary was linked to slower gastrointestinal tract transit, which can cause dire effects.
Two major effects she noted could happen were constipation and reflux. Should patients have gastrointestinal problems already, practicing the trend could result in worsening constipation and reflux.
Gastrointestinal Issues and Other Issues
The NHS explains that constipation happens often when a stool remains in the large intestine for an extended period of time. As such, the colon then absorbs excess water from the stool, causing it to become dry and hard, often leading to difficulty in pushing out the stool.
However, the survey did show positive habits for a larger percentage of participants. 36% of Gen Z said they exercised some times during the week while 26% of them said they exercised every day.
As noted by Harvard Health, bed rest can be useful for back pains. However, should the muscles not be used to it, they could get weaker resulting in further problems with back support.
The UNC School of Medicine reports that staying immobile for a long period can cause blood clots to form. This happens when the muscles don't contract to help blood circulation.
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