Sitting all day is bad for your health

We’ve all heard the messages about the importance of exercise. We know that as little as 45 minutes of activity four times a week can boost your heart health and energy, stave off depression and lead to stronger bones and joints.  But does it matter what you do for the rest of the day?

New evidence says that it does.

A new systematic review published this week sought to answer the question, does prolonged periods of sitting lead to an earlier death? With so many people in desk jobs – tethered to computer monitors and spending free time in front of the television – it is an important question to ask.

The review looked at five separate studies that measured time spent sitting and mortality rates in the United States. The researchers adjusted for other variables including age, health status and physical activity. What they found is indeed surprising.

People who sat for prolonged periods on a regular basis were at a greater risk for an early death. Using a statistical model, the researchers found that people who sat for less than three hours a day increased their average life expectancy by about two years.

A separate study of more than 200,000 adults living in the southern hemisphere found that people who sat for more than 11 hours a day had a 40 percent higher risk of dying in the next three years compared to people who sat less than four hours a day. This study adjusted for other factors such as health status, age and physical activity levels. And it found a clear relationships between sitting and mortality rates. Essentially that means the more people sat, the higher their risk of death.

The take-home message for this one is pretty clear: get up and move. But what’s a person with a desk-job to do?  Doctors say getting up for 10 minutes every hour can help. You can also invest in or make your own standing desk, which will allow you to do desk-work on your feet.