Too Much Sitting at Work Is Deadly, Increases Risk Death Even When People Exercise

Scientists taking a second look at accumulated research have concluded that prolonged sitting increases risk of death from all causes, and also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The elevated risk associated with sitting for long periods is not canceled out by exercise.

Publishing a statistical review of 41 published research studies called a meta-analysis in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers noted that, as expected, people who get the least exercise have the highest rates of all-cause mortality. (This finding does not explain whether people who don't exercise get sick or people who get sick don't exercise.)

Just How Unhealthy Is It to Sit Around All Day?

Aviroop Biswas of the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto in Canada Canada and coworkers looked at 14 studies of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, 14 studies of  cancer, and 13 studies of rates of death from all causes. Almost all of these studies relied on survey data in which respondents estimated their own physical activity, rather than having expert observers measure physical activity.

When Biswas and colleagues combined all the data, they found that spending long periods seated every day was associated with, on average:

• 14 percent greater risk of being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease,
• 18 percent greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease,
• 13 percent greater risk of being diagnosed with cancer,
• 17 percent greater risk of death from cancer, and
• 91 percent greater risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Among people who sit all day but find time to work out later, on average their was a 30 percent reduction in health risk caused by sitting too long, but even exercisers had a 10 percent greater risk of being diagnosed with heart disease, a 12 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease, a 9 percent greater risk of being diagnosed with cancer, a 12 percent greater risk of drying from cancer, and a 60 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Sedentary, "Sitting" Jobs Long Known To Be Associated With Higher Mortality

Researchers have been able to show for a very long time that spending a lot of time sitting down on the job is associated with higher risk of death. A study of London bus drivers in the 1950's found that they had a two-fold higher risk of death from myocardial infarction (heart attack) compared to other Londoners who had more active jobs. The evidence for the danger of spending lots of time seated has only accumulated over the years since those first studies over 60 years ago.

See Also: Office Exercises: Computer Related Neck And Shoulder Pain Solutions

Still, it seems unlikely that spending time at a desk or behind a wheel or at a console every day is an "either or" factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and death. It seems more likely that there must be some way to offset the detrimental effects of having to stay seated at work.

Just How Big a Problem is Working at a Desk All Day, And What Can You Do About It?

Other studies have suggested that a shorter work day sitting a desk or a console or behind the wheel of a vehicle is less detrimental than having to sit at work for long periods of time. A study of 71,000 women aged 50 to 79 years published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that each hour sitting down at work increased cardiovascular risk by 2 percent. Working 50 hours a week at a desk job would approximately double risk of death from heart disease.

This study (unlike the meta-analysis done by the researchers at the University of Toronto) also found that it doesn't take much exercise to provide a measurable benefit to health. Getting just 20 minutes of exercise every day, or about two hours of exercise a week, lowers cardiovascular disease risk. Canceling out the effects of sitting down at work all day, however, cannot be accomplished with light or moderate exercise. It takes about eight hours of vigorous exercise each and every week to eliminate the increased risk to cardiovascular health associated with a sedentary job.

See Also: Office Exercises For Lower Back Pain

Most office workers, of course, don't have eight hours a week they can spend doing hard workouts at the gym or extreme sports on the weekend. So what is a better way?

• When you have to spend a long period seated, sit up straight. This means not leaning forward, shoulders relaxed, arms close to sides, elbows at 90 degrees, back supported, feet flat on the floor. This position helps you avoid wear and tear on joints and promotes healthy breathing and circulation.
• Wear appropriate footwear. Shoes should be comfortable so you don't have to wiggle and squirm to promote circulation to your feet. Support hose or support stockings (even for men) can help prevent varicose veins and blood clots.
• Get up as often as possible, preferably about every 30 minutes. Getting up and moving around stimulates circulation and may prevent the formation of blood clots.
• Don't be afraid of sitting. Instead, add value to sitting. Sitting down with friends for social interaction, in moderation, is a healthy activity.
• Turn off the TV. One study found that people who watch seven or more hours of TV daily have a 61 percent greater risk of death from all causes.
• When you do watch TV, sit on something wobbly, like an exercise ball. Get up and stretch during commercials.
• Use a standing desk at work. It may take some getting used to, of course, and you may not want to throw away your old desk too soon.
• Following are exercises to do a few minutes every day at home. Exercise your hips at least three minutes a day. Hold your leg out in front of you while you are seated as long as it is comfortable. Practice kneeling on one knee, Flexing the other leg. Hold onto a firm surface, like a counter, while extending your leg backward. These exercises help strengthen your hips and help you avoid falls.
• Try two simple yoga poses, the horse and the cat, to strengthen your back. Get down on all fours and either raise your head like a horse or lower your head like a cat. Hold the position as long as it is comfortable. This exercise will help you keep your lumbar spine from pulling forward and avoid damage to vertebral disks.