- Researchers say that sitting all day can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.
- They report that even 15 to 30 minutes of daily activity can help mitigate the risk from sitting for eight hours.
- They add that increasing one’s level of activity can just mean taking more breaks, using stairs instead of an elevator, or walking to a colleague’s office more often.
You may not want to sit down for this.
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In their findings, the researchers said “the serious risks associated with prolonged occupational sitting can be mitigated by incorporating regular breaks and engaging in additional physical activity.”
They called for systemic changes, such as gym membership benefits, more breaks, desks allowing employees to stand, and designated workplace areas for physical activity.
The cohort study looked at 481,688 individuals over a mean follow-up period of nearly 13 years.
Researchers reported that people who predominantly sat at work showed a higher risk of mortality from all causes (16%) and cardiovascular disease (34%) compared to those who usually didn’t sit, after adjusting for gender, age, education, smoking, drinking, and body mass index.
The study included participants in a health surveillance program in Taiwan who were followed up between 1996 and 2017. Data on occupational sitting, leisure time physical activity, lifestyle, and metabolic parameters were collected, with the data analysis performed in December 2020.
Three occupational sitting volumes (mostly sitting, alternating sitting and non-sitting, and mostly non-sitting) were analyzed.
Subjects alternating between sitting and non-sitting at work didn’t experience increased risk of all-cause mortality compared with individuals who mostly didn’t sit at work.
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