A few weeks ago I became interested in sitting and did some research on
its relationship with life expectancy. Trying to be objective, I avoided reading the results before taking a daily log on my own sitting habits for a week. I averaged three and a half hours of sitting a day – with my short day being 2:15 and my long day being six hours. What I found was fascinating. And, yes, I realize that the interpretation of data does not always lead to a honest conclusion. Still the bottom line was that even people who exercise can shorten their lifespan by sitting excessively.
One study found that the average sitting per day is five hours – worldwide. Some folks do much more sitting than that. My average was 90 minutes less than the average. An article in Time suggested that sitting for more than three hours a day can take off two years of life expectancy. In addition, watching TV for more than 90 minutes a day can shorten lifespan by 1.4 years.
The study quoted was published in the prestigious British Medical Journal.
Funny thing is that these studies (another was published in Australia in 2010) found that sitting excessively can shorten lifespans almost as much as smoking can. And, of course, if you smoke and sit a lot, you double your risk of dying early. Add obesity into that equation and you will make an even earlier departure from planet Earth.
In a study done by the American Cancer Society, researchers monitored the habits and health outcomes of 123,216 people during a 14-year period. They found that women who sit for more than six hours a day were about 40% more likely to die during the course of the study than those who sat fewer than three hours per day. Men were about 20% more likely to die. So it looks like six hours could be the danger zone and less than three hours is the safety zone.
Well and good - but it’s hard to avoid sitting. Many Americans sit while watching TV (hours each day), playing video games, working at a sedentary job, checking their phone or texting, or being glued to a desk in front of a computer. Help! What can we do?
First, realize that excessive sitting can damage your health as much as smoking, regardless of your exercise habits. No one is immune. Being aware is the first step. Then, as hard as it may be to change habits, consider doing the following:
1. Get a desk where you can stand – so that you can alternate sitting and standing.
2. If you’re prone to watching TV, stretch, do yoga, push-ups, or some other exercise while watching. Treadmill. Even pacing the room.
3. Keep a sitting log for a week. See how many hours you average a day.
4. Impose a personal limit on how much time you spend sitting while “recreationally” doing electronic stuff.
5. If you can’t avoid sitting for long periods of time, try to incorporate a five minute walk every 30
minutes.
6. Consider becoming a LifeNut by lowering your BMI to the low 20s and developing strong heart and lung function. Few people attain this level of fitness but those who do will have a better chance at offsetting the negative effects of sitting when compared to those who aren’t LifeNuts.
its relationship with life expectancy. Trying to be objective, I avoided reading the results before taking a daily log on my own sitting habits for a week. I averaged three and a half hours of sitting a day – with my short day being 2:15 and my long day being six hours. What I found was fascinating. And, yes, I realize that the interpretation of data does not always lead to a honest conclusion. Still the bottom line was that even people who exercise can shorten their lifespan by sitting excessively.
One study found that the average sitting per day is five hours – worldwide. Some folks do much more sitting than that. My average was 90 minutes less than the average. An article in Time suggested that sitting for more than three hours a day can take off two years of life expectancy. In addition, watching TV for more than 90 minutes a day can shorten lifespan by 1.4 years.
The study quoted was published in the prestigious British Medical Journal.
Funny thing is that these studies (another was published in Australia in 2010) found that sitting excessively can shorten lifespans almost as much as smoking can. And, of course, if you smoke and sit a lot, you double your risk of dying early. Add obesity into that equation and you will make an even earlier departure from planet Earth.
In a study done by the American Cancer Society, researchers monitored the habits and health outcomes of 123,216 people during a 14-year period. They found that women who sit for more than six hours a day were about 40% more likely to die during the course of the study than those who sat fewer than three hours per day. Men were about 20% more likely to die. So it looks like six hours could be the danger zone and less than three hours is the safety zone.
Well and good - but it’s hard to avoid sitting. Many Americans sit while watching TV (hours each day), playing video games, working at a sedentary job, checking their phone or texting, or being glued to a desk in front of a computer. Help! What can we do?
First, realize that excessive sitting can damage your health as much as smoking, regardless of your exercise habits. No one is immune. Being aware is the first step. Then, as hard as it may be to change habits, consider doing the following:
1. Get a desk where you can stand – so that you can alternate sitting and standing.
2. If you’re prone to watching TV, stretch, do yoga, push-ups, or some other exercise while watching. Treadmill. Even pacing the room.
3. Keep a sitting log for a week. See how many hours you average a day.
4. Impose a personal limit on how much time you spend sitting while “recreationally” doing electronic stuff.
5. If you can’t avoid sitting for long periods of time, try to incorporate a five minute walk every 30
minutes.
6. Consider becoming a LifeNut by lowering your BMI to the low 20s and developing strong heart and lung function. Few people attain this level of fitness but those who do will have a better chance at offsetting the negative effects of sitting when compared to those who aren’t LifeNuts.
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