Gaby
Recent advancements in technology have diminished both the need and desire to move. Many people spend a significant portion of their day sitting, whether at work in front of a computer or at home in front of the television.
However, the human body is designed for movement, emphasized Daniel Bailey, a physical education and health expert at Brunel University in the UK. Prolonged sitting is extremely detrimental to our health. Meanwhile, authors of new research have discovered a link between excessive sitting and the risk of early death, as reported by Science Alert.
What Scientists Have Discovered
A team of American researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) involved 5,856 participants aged 63 to 99 in their study. Initially, they asked participants to wear an activity monitor on their hips for seven days. Then, the scientists observed them over a span of ten years. During the study, 1,733 participants passed away.
To determine how much time participants spent sitting using the activity monitor, and then correlate the results with their mortality risk, the researchers employed artificial intelligence. The data revealed that those who sat for more than 11 hours a day had a 57 percent higher risk of death compared to those who sat for less than nine and a half hours.
But wouldn’t regular exercise mitigate the health risks associated with excessive sitting? According to the UCSD study, the risk of premature death persisted even with relatively high levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity. A 2019 study also indicated that increased physical activity does not eliminate the risk of health issues such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke that arise from prolonged sitting.
However, a recent study conducted by Australian scientists showed that walking 9,000 to 10,500 steps daily reduces the risk of premature death, even among those who sit a lot.
The conflicting results can be explained by the fact that participants in the UCSD study wore activity monitors on their hips, while those in the Australian study wore them on their wrists. Additionally, the Australian researchers did not use AI tools to analyze the activity monitor data. Consequently, standing might have been recorded as sitting. For instance, if a participant stood still for half an hour, the monitor would interpret that as half an hour of sitting. This means the Australian study may not have accurately assessed the time participants spent sitting.
Thus, the evidence provided by the American team appears to be more precise, according to Daniel Bailey. The findings from UCSD align with the recommendations of the World Health Organization regarding the need to limit daily sitting time and to regularly interrupt it.
What Constitutes Excessive Sitting?
So, how many hours of sitting pose a danger to life? The UCSD study indicates 11 hours a day. However, other researchers believe that even 7 hours of sitting daily is too much. Numerous studies show that one should not sit for more than 30 minutes continuously, as this contributes to elevated blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
How can one combat prolonged sitting? An office worker might benefit from a standing desk. Additionally, one can stand up from their chair and switch between tasks or during conversations. At home, sitting can be interrupted during television commercial breaks or while waiting for the kettle to boil. It’s also advisable to use smart gadgets that signal when you’ve been sitting for too long.
But what if standing or walking is inconvenient or inappropriate in a given situation? A 2020 study showed that short bursts of arm exercises (for example, two minutes after 20 minutes of sitting) help lower blood sugar levels. Therefore, when a person does anything to avoid remaining still, they are enhancing their health.
