Person at Desk Job (Photo : Reuters/Stefan Wermuth)
A new study questions the idea that sitting "too much" for long periods or all day, such as when living a sedentary lifestyle at a desk job or watching TV at home, increases people's risk of early death, even when they otherwise have good health. People without heart disease were not more likely to die earlier whether they sat down for a long time or all the time while at home or on the job.
The study was conducted by the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. It was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
Researchers examined about 3,700 men and 1,400 women who did not suffer from heart disease. They were participants in a long-term U.K. health study.
The study's volunteers reported in the late 1990s how long they sat each week, including while on the clock at work, free time, and when watching TV. Researchers then tracked their health for 16 years.
The scientists found no solid evidence that linked sitting for long times to a higher risk of dying. That was whether the person sat down all the time at home or in the workplace.
They explained that their study's findings challenged some research in recent years. Such studies claimed that the actual act of sitting could cause health problems even when people otherwise lived a healthy lifestyle, such as by taking walks, riding bicycles, swimming laps, or doing other physical exercise.
However, the British researchers explained an X-factor related to their study. The participants were mostly white-collar Londoners, so their commutes to work were likely more physically demanding than for rural residents, according to The Washington Post.
Previous studies have indicated that people being glued to their seats all day can cause several health issues. They include slower metabolisms, obesity, type-2 diabetes, some kinds of cancer, and even early death.
Researcher Melvyn Hillsdon explained that his team's study showed that such health conditions and diseases are not caused by how long people are seated, according to WebMD. It is linked to a sedentary lifestyle.
Experts recommend taking intermittent breaks during long-term sit-down activities such as watching television at home or working on an office computer. For example, people could walk in place during a commercial break, or go talk with a coworker at the water cooler during work breaks.
Here are some easy yet effective office exercises to try:
