Even an hour of exercise a day won't prevent from an early death should you spend many of the remainder of your day sitting. That's the conclusion of Canadian researchers who scrutinized data from 47 studies on the results of sedentary behavior. When they combined the outcomes of all of the studies, the researchers found that no matter their level of physical activity, otherwise, individuals who sat for long periods of time had an increased risk of developing many diseases. . Those who sat the longest had a 24 percent higher risk of death, an 18 percent higher risk of heart disease, a 13 percent higher risk of cancer, and a 90 percent higher risk of diabetes. The results were published within the January 20, 2015 issue of History of Internal Medicine.
| Researchers recommend standing up for a minute or two every half hour when you may have a task that keeps you tied to a chair. It may help to set timers or alarms. Sound at half-hourly intervals. |
It's not clear how sitting causes health problems. Some research suggests it has harmful effects on sugar and fat metabolism, each of which affect an individual's risk of diabetes and heart disease. And once you're sitting, you burn 30% more calories than once you're standing.
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