Sitting Too Long Is Linked To Higher Risk Of Premature Death

But facts are facts, it is time to start working out more, and get up and get moving. Sitting for more than one hour without moving has been shown to increase your risk for premature death, but thankfully there is a wide range of ways to prevent the dangers of being sedentary. 

Among the various publications one in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that sitting too long may increase mortality risk, adding to the evidence of the connection between prolonged periods of sitting and increased mortality risk. This study observed 7,985 American adults, sedentary time was tracked using hip mounted accelerometers, and data was compared to volunteers “objective amount of sedentary activity with all cause mortality.”

Participants were followed up with to verify the adverse effects of sedentary behavior; those who continuously sat for 60 minutes+ had a higher risk of premature death, unlike those who took movement breaks once every half hour. Findings suggest that greater total sedentary time is linked to a greater risk for all cause mortality. 

Based on their findings sitting too long without engaging in physical activity was concluded to increase risk for all cause mortality, and working out on a regular basis can help to offset the harmful side effects of prolonged inactivity as well as risk for premature death. 

Another study published in the Journal of American Epidemiology analyzed data from over 1,000 participants; findings showed low intensity exercise helped to counteract the negative effects of 30 minutes of sedentary behavior by 17%; moderate to high intensity exercise was revealed to help minimize risk of early death by more than one third. 

If you sit in front of a computer for most of the day try to take phone calls while standing or walking. Set an alarm for every half an hour to stand up, stretch, and take a lap around your desk. Go for a walk during breaks, and take the stairs more. Stand up and stretch in place a few times a day. Walk or ride a bike to work, or get off a stop early on your commute to walk the rest of the way. Having a reusable water bottle will help you to get up and move more as you need to refill it. You can also wake up early to exercise before work, or exercise on the way home. Standing desks help greatly, but if that is not an option try to stand, stretch, and move as much as you can throughout the day.