People who sit too much are more likely to die young regardless of how often they flex and work their muscles

Jan 20, 2015 07:53 GMT  ·  By
Study finds exercising at the end of the day does not counteract the effects of sitting
   Study finds exercising at the end of the day does not counteract the effects of sitting

Most likely especially for those desperately trying to come up with a perfect excuse to ditch the gym without having anyone accuse them of being quitters, researchers published a new report saying that, regardless of how often folks exercise, sitting time will still drive them to an early grave.

The study in question, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, explains that, according to evidence at hand, physical activity does little to reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease in the case of guys and gals who, despite the fact that they exercise regularly, sit for long periods of time.

Too many people sit too much in this day and age

According to Dr. David Alter with Canada's University Health Network, the average guy or gal spends about 50% of their waking hours sitting, be it at the office or in the comfort of their own home. All this sitting time makes people more vulnerable to heart trouble, diabetes and even cancer.

As detailed in the video below, released towards the end of last year without any connection to this study – well, no connection other than the fact that it too discusses how sitting affects the body – folks who spend too much time glued to their chairs or sofas experience a narrowing of their blood vessels.

This translates into a drop in blood flow and in insulin levels, which in turn increases the risk of diabetes. In time, people who sit for long periods of time on a daily basis also begin to lose muscle mass. The heart is affected as well in that it becomes weaker and can no longer efficiently pump blood.

Exercising does not counteract the negative effects of sitting

Dr. David Alter and colleagues argue that, as surprising as this may sound, the fact of the matter is that exercising does not counteract the negative effects sitting for long periods of time has on the human body. Otherwise put, regular gym visits do not repair the damage caused by sitting for hours on end.

What this means is that, regardless of how often they go for a jog or at least for a brisk walk, folks whose daily routine involves sitting for a whole lot of time are still more vulnerable to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and consequently, a premature death than those who are forever moving about.

“More than one half of an average person's day is spent being sedentary – sitting, watching television, or working at a computer. Our study finds that despite the health-enhancing benefits of physical activity, this alone may not be enough to reduce the risk for disease,” says Dr. David Alter.

No, this does not make exercise a complete waste of time

True, regular exercise cannot make amends for all the damage we cause to our body when sitting for too long. Still, the University Health Network scientists behind this investigation wish to stress that this does not make it a complete waste of time either.

On the contrary, they say that, although not to a great extent, exercise does help reduce the risk of all sorts of health trouble, especially when people don't see it as some chore they are expected to complete at the end of the day. Thus, the idea is to mix and match sitting and exercise time.

“Avoiding sedentary time and getting regular exercise are both important for improving your health and survival. At work, stand up or move for one to three minutes every half hour; and when watching television, stand or exercise during commercials,” explains Dr. David Alter, as cited by Science Daily.

If you have a few minutes to spare and want to learn more about how you can limit the damage that sitting too much is doing to your body, check out the video below the one detailing the negative effects of having a sedentary lifestyle.