January 26, 2024 – People who sit more often than not at work have a 16% higher risk of dying from all causes and a 34% higher risk of dying from heart disease, in comparison with individuals who sit in the course of the day are energetic, a brand new study published in Open JAMA Network says.
People who sit an excessive amount of should get 15 to half-hour more physical activity every day to cut back their risk to the extent of people that don't sit at work many of the day, the study says.
Researchers examined data from the biannual health examinations of about 482,000 people in Taiwan from 1996 to 2017. They were asked about how much they sat at work and lifestyle risk aspects corresponding to smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise.
About 60% of individuals within the study were within the predominantly sedentary group, 29% were within the alternating sitting and non-sitting group, and 10% were within the predominantly non-sitting group. Risk aspects and other variables were considered to achieve the conclusions.
Researchers found that the group that sat many of the day had the very best risk. The middle group, which alternated between sitting and never sitting, had in regards to the same mortality risk as those that didn't sit, meaning a bit exercise could go a great distance.
“The serious risks associated with prolonged sitting at work can be reduced by taking regular breaks and additional physical activity,” the study says. “Systemic changes, such as more frequent breaks, standing desks, designated work areas for physical activity, and gym membership benefits, can help reduce risk.”
CNN wellness expert Leana Wen, MD, an emergency medicine physician and associate professor at George Washington University, had suggestions for a way people can exercise more.
“Instead of walking around the neighborhood once before dinner, how about walking around twice?” She said. “Instead of going to the gym twice a week, how about three times? Could they park a few blocks away and walk to and from work faster? These small changes can add up.”