NEW research reveals a simple way to REDUCE your risk of premature death

by: | August 10, 2024
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sitting(NaturalHealth365)  Have you ever had the painful experience of getting out of a car – after a long road trip?  Or how about that sore-back feeling you get from sitting too long?  Well, don’t ignore these signs – because it could be warning you about your future health and longevity.

By now, most of us understand that exercise is a virtual must for any healthy lifestyle – and that being too sedentary can increase your risk for everything from obesity to premature death!  (this is NOT an exaggeration – as you’ll soon see.)

New research is shedding light on just how important (and effective) physical activity is for mitigating the negative health effects of sitting – which, as popular media will rightly tell you, “is the new smoking.”

The surprising link between sitting (too much) and the risk of premature death

In a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity in July 2023, researchers examined the impact of sedentary behavior and physical activity on mortality risk among individuals with prediabetes and diabetes.  The study, which included 2,279 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, found that higher sedentary time was associated with increased mortality risk in both groups.

The researchers observed that for both prediabetes and diabetes groups, those in the highest tertile of sedentary time had a 76% higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to those in the lowest tertile.  Additionally, each 60-minute increase in daily sedentary time was linked to a 19% higher mortality risk in prediabetes and a 25% higher risk in diabetes.

Importantly, the study also investigated the effects of replacing sedentary time with physical activity.  In the prediabetes group, substituting 30 minutes of sedentary time with light-intensity physical activity reduced mortality risk by 9%, while replacing it with moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity lowered the risk by 40%.  Similar benefits were observed in the diabetes group.

In another study published in the peer-reviewed journal American Journal of Epidemiology, a team of researchers discovered that swapping out a mere half hour of sitting with low-intensity physical activity decreases a person’s risk of early death by a whopping 17%.  And if you opt for 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity, you can slash your risk by as much as 35%.

The research involved data from an impressive 8,000 middle-aged and older adults.  The authors suggest that “physical activity of any intensity “is needed to mitigate the mortality risks incurred by sedentary time.

By the way, do you think those occasional bouts of Netflix and chill aren’t a big deal?

Past data from the same group of researchers found that people who sit for an hour or more continuously were at significantly greater risk for early death than people who got up and moved around more often … even if their total time spent sitting was the same.  And the lowest risk of early death went to people who sat for no longer than 30 minutes at a time.

Simple ways to get up and get MORE daily movement

What’s the takeaway from all this?

It’s simple, really: the human body was meant to move, and when it doesn’t, things go haywire.

Unfortunately, research shows that 1 out of 4 adults spend at least 8 hours of their day sitting … that’s a lot of negative health consequences coming our way.

So, if you want to invest in your healthy lifestyle while using some cost-effective and time-effective strategies, start with this: stop sitting so much!  Researchers found that even just one or two minutes of activity can benefit your health in a meaningful way … but why stop there?

Here are some simple hacks you can use to get you out of your chair more often and stand up more for your health (no pun intended):

  • Set a timer on your phone or computer to go off at least once per hour.  When it does, take a standing or walking break.  Even just a brisk walk around the office can help.
  • Need to make a phone call?  Take a walk to a ‘hard-wired’ telephone.  (better than using a cell phone)
  • Drink plenty of clean (fresh) water.  Being adequately hydrated will force you to get up since you’ll need to use the bathroom more frequently.
  • Invest in a stand-up desk option so you can stand while working.  Research suggests that standing while working can also boost your mood and productivity.
  • Do some simple exercises during a commercial break: lunges, squats, sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks – anything to get your body moving.
  • Start a routine exercise routine if you aren’t on one now.

Bottom line:  Don’t beat yourself up for past (poor) behavior.  Just get started today – because it’s never too late to live a healthier lifestyle.

Sources for this article include:

NIH.gov
Eurekalert.org
Academic.oup.com
Medicalxpress.com
NIH.gov

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