Women who spend more than 11 hours a day sitting have 12 percent. higher risk of premature death from a variety of causes, compared with the most active peers who sit at most 4 hours, reports the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
These are the conclusions of a study conducted by scientists from Cornell University in Ithaca (USA) among over 92 thousand. postmenopausal women. They were all participants in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study and were initially 50 to 79 years old. Using questionnaires, they collected data on the number of hours spent sitting during the day (but excluding hours spent sleeping). On this basis, they were divided into four groups: sitting up to 4 hours, over 4 to 8 hours, over 8 to 11 hours. and more than 11 hours.
Women’s health was monitored for an average of 12 years.
It turned out that those who sat the longest during the day were 12 percent. more likely to suffer premature death from a variety of causes compared to women who sat the least (i.e. up to 4 hours). The risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was higher by 13%, from coronary heart disease – by 27%, and from cancer – by 21%.
The risk of premature death increased in direct proportion to the number of hours spent sitting.
The analysis took into account: age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), the presence of chronic diseases as well as the activity and physical fitness of women.
“It was assumed that physical fitness and activity would be protective even if you spend a lot of time sitting every day. In fact, you are much less protected against the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle on your health than you think “- comments the co-author of the work, Prof. Rebecca Seguin.
Worse, sitting for too long makes it harder to regain strength and fitness over time. Women begin to lose muscle mass at the age of 35, and these changes gain pace in the perimenopause. While regular exercise, especially strength exercises, helps counteract this, research by the Seguin team shows that more daily exercise – in addition to physical activity – is also important for staying healthy.
“In general, the philosophy works here: + the unused organ disappears +. We have many modern facilities and technologies which, while making us more efficient, also lead to a decline in activity and a reduced ability to do things. Women have to find a way to stay active, ”comments Seguin.
In her opinion, the way to do this may be to make small changes in your life. “If you work in an office, get up and walk often. If you are retired and have a lot of free time, find ways to move more inside and out of your home. Get up between watching TV programs, take breaks from working on the computer and reading, consciously take breaks from sitting too long “- says the researcher. (PAP)