How much time do you spend sitting? Think about it: an average American office worker gets out of bed, and then sits in a car on the way to work where they sit down at their desk. Maybe you’ll go out for lunch and sit at a table. Back to work, a commute home, then a few hours sitting in front of the TV before bed.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has found that every hour per day spent sitting without physical activity increases a person's risk of dying from heart disease by almost one-fifth, regardless of how physically fit or unfit they are. "Even if someone has a healthy body weight, sitting for long periods of time still has an unhealthy influence on their blood sugar and blood fats," according to Professor David Dunstan, head of the Physical Activity laboratory at Australia’s Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.
The study measured the intensity of physical activity in 168 subjects over seven days. It found that regardless of how much moderate-to-vigorous exercise they did or their total sedentary time, those who took more breaks from sitting had lower waist circumferences, lower body mass indexes and lower levels of triglycerides and glucose in blood. Higher levels of triglycerides, or blood lipids, have been linked to a heightened risk of heart disease and stroke. High blood glucose levels are linked to the development of diabetes, which itself is a major risk factor for heart disease.
The studies found that the enzymes responsible for breaking down fat are suppressed when a person is sitting instead of standing.
"To hold a body that weighs [77 kilograms] upright takes a fair amount of energy from muscles," he said. "There is a large amount of energy associated with standing every day that can't easily be compensated for by 30 to 60 minutes in the gym."
"To hold a body that weighs [77 kilograms] upright takes a fair amount of energy from muscles," he said. "There is a large amount of energy associated with standing every day that can't easily be compensated for by 30 to 60 minutes in the gym."
His studies found that the enzymes responsible for breaking down fat are suppressed when a person is sitting instead of standing.
But the good news is that pottering about the house or gently walking around the office while on the phone might be enough to keep you fit: regardless of how much moderate-to-vigorous exercise they did or their total sedentary time, those who took more breaks from sitting had lower waist circumferences, lower body mass indexes and lower levels of triglycerides and glucose in blood. In fact, the sheer effort of standing up is enough to double the metabolic rate and the amount of calories burnt.
"If you stand up, you are much more likely to end up pacing or pottering around and that seems to make a crucial difference."
But the good news is that pottering about the house or gently walking around the office while on the phone might be enough to keep you fit: regardless of how much moderate-to-vigorous exercise they did or their total sedentary time, those who took more breaks from sitting had lower waist circumferences, lower body mass indexes and lower levels of triglycerides and glucose in blood. In fact, the sheer effort of standing up is enough to double the metabolic rate and the amount of calories burnt.
"If you stand up, you are much more likely to end up pacing or pottering around and that seems to make a crucial difference."
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