WASHINGTON — The emerging research on the health consequences of sitting is shocking. This is a different world these days. Your body was not made for current lifestyles. In this world, you sit for long commutes, in your offices and at night you joyously watch your favorite television shows.
Even if you exercise, sitting too much will harm your health, a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine reports. Sitting several hours every day, just like smoking, is bad for you, regardless of other healthful activities you do.
Research published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that people sitting every day may be at a higher risk for developing cancer.
An American Cancer Study finds women who sit more than six hours a day were about 40 percent more likely to die during the course of the study than those who sat fewer than three hours a day. Men were about 20 percent more likely to die.
Another study shows that people who sit are at increased risk of such diseases as hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease and cholesterol. Researchers discovered this by analyzing 43 existing studies that included 4 million study participants and almost 70,000 cancer patients over 14 years. Interestingly, this recent research shows that sitting for extended periods of time does damage to your health that cannot be undone by exercising.
Researchers found that exercising at least 150 minutes per week, the accepted public health guideline for physical activity, cannot reverse the negative effects of sitting for hours.
Possible reasons why: Sitting for a long time causes muscles to burn less fat and blood to flow more sluggishly. Both can increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and other problems.
Tips:
- While sitting, help your muscles push blood back to the heart by raising and lowering your heels, raising and lowering your toes while keeping your heels on the floor, and by tightening and releasing your leg muscles.
- Mix non-computer-related tasks into your workday so you are moving different muscle groups.
- Get up from your desk about every hour.
- Make a plan to stand regularly when you do certain tasks. Develop a habit whereby you stand up whenever someone calls you on the phone, comes in to talk to you, or as you read your email.
- At home, stand during the television commercials. Set a regular timer to stand up every hour when you are surfing the web.
- Use standing and adjustable desks that allow for switching between sitting and standing.
- Use a treadmill desk on a slow speed.
- Do yoga stretches.
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