Hours spent sitting in a chair are an invitation to the development of heart disease, according to a US study reported in the medical journal Circulation, published by the American Heart Association. English-language press and portals write about them.
Men who sit 23 hours a week are 64 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than men who only sit 11 hours a week.
The risk of dying from a variety of causes increases by 11 percent for each additional hour spent in front of the TV, according to UK daily The Daily Mail.
American scientists have found that molecules of lipoprotein lipase – an enzyme that is involved in fat metabolism – are only released when you tighten your muscles, such as when standing or walking. While sitting, a significant part of the metabolism slows down, explains The Times of India.
Even when someone maintains a healthy weight, sitting for long periods of time still has an adverse effect on blood sugar and fat metabolism, explains Professor David Dunstan, author of the study reported in the journal Circulation.
This means that even if you run for an hour in the morning and spend the rest of the day hunched over in a chair, some of the benefits you gain from your morning exercise are lost.
The situation is even worse in women: those who sit more than 6 hours a day during the day have a 37 percent higher risk of dying than those who sit less than three hours, regardless of physical activity.
Any prolonged sitting position seems to pose a health risk. As a result, writes The Times of India, some doctors are calling for a new recommendation: to get up and exercise more often.
If you stand up, you are more likely to take a few steps, says James Levine, professor of medicine at the famous American Mayo Clinic Hospital.
Standing alone requires muscle tension in the legs and back – then 10-20 percent more energy is burned than when sitting (PAP)