Scientists found that persons who spent six to eight hours a day sitting have a 12%-13% higher risk of early mortality and heart disease after surveying 100,000 people who lived in various countries.
The couch is undoubtedly nice, but according to Simon Fraser University experts, sitting down for prolonged periods of time will only “land couch potatoes in an early grave.”
Sitting for 8 hours increases heart disease risk
More than 8 hours of daily sitting were associated with a 20% increased risk. The study’s authors monitored these individuals for a mean of 11 years in cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing.
The scientists established a strong connection between spending too much time sitting and the chance of developing heart disease and dying along the road.
In their study, which was published in JAMA Cardiology, the scientists acknowledged that sitting is a condition that affects people worldwide, but it is most detrimental in low- and low-middle-income nations.
Scott Lear, a co-author of the study and a professor of health and science at Simon Fraser University, claims that if a person must sit down, getting more movement at other hours of the day can mitigate this risk.
According to the study, risk begins to rise with increased sitting frequency. The greatest risk levels—up to 50%—were seen in the least active, more sedentary adults. Conversely, the least risky levels, at 17 percent, went to the most active participants.
Professor Lear commented on their findings, saying that for persons who sat down for over four hours daily, substituting activity for a half-hour of sitting decreased the risk of death by 2%.
Improving exercise reduces the risk of heart disease
There is a potential for people to improve their exercise and reduce their odds of early death, let alone heart disease, as only 1 in 4 Canadians fulfills the activity standards.
According to the study’s authors, sitting all day in high-income nations is often linked to better-paying occupations and overall greater socioeconomic position, which may explain why there is a stronger correlation in lower-income countries.
