Mind, Body & Heart: All you need to know about...

Big risks

Amid concerns that sitting is the new smoking, a new study showed that being sedentary for over 8.5 hours daily or 60 hours a week while commuting, in office, or at home can make you age faster and raise significant health risks.

Light activity no buffer

Importantly, the study showed that a young age or 20 minutes of moderate activity like walking cannot buffer the effects. Instead, vigorous activity like running or cycling for 30 minutes daily can help, but not completely.

Do more, sit less

Chandra Reynolds, Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder in the US, said that “sitting less throughout the day, getting more vigorous exercise, or a combination of both may be necessary to reduce the risk of premature ageing in early adulthood”.

‘Look older’

The team analysed more than 1,000 people with an average age of 33, and included 730 twins, to explore how prolonged sitting impacts cholesterol and body mass index (BMI) in young adults.

The participants logged 9 hours of sitting daily while engaging in moderate physical activity between 80 and 160 minutes.

The results, published in the journal PLOS One, noted that “the more one sat, the older one looked”.

Further, the team said that young adults who sat 8.5 hours per day and performed at or below current exercise recommendations could be in a “moderate to high risk” category for cardiovascular and metabolic disease.

“Taking a quick walk after work may not be enough,” said Reynolds, noting that the “associations are already emerging in early adulthood.”