If you want to stay healthy, don’t just sit there. Make sure you get up from your chair every half hour or so.
Why Should You Get Up?
A new study of approximately 8,000 people shows that those who get up and move around every half hour or so are less likely to die prematurely than those who sit still for extended periods of time. In this study, the subjects wore activity monitors (accelerometers) all day long for a week, so the investigators got a good idea of their activity patterns.
Then the scientists tracked what happened to their subjects over the next four years. During that time, 340 of these people died, and it turns out that those who sat still for the longest periods of time were more likely to be among them. In fact, their risk was almost twice that of people who moved around most.
Sitting as the New Smoking:
The researchers conclude that sitting really is the new smoking. To diminish the health risks from too much sitting, they suggest that people who are sitting get up and stretch or walk around every half hour or so. They admit they don’t know exactly how much movement is optimal-or what is the minimum amount of activity that can provide protection.
