A study conducted in 1953 unveiled some amazing health risks associated with excessive sitting. The study, first conducted on bus drivers in London, helped scientists to identify the increasing effects that prolonged sitting have on individuals that work at home, from the office, or basically travel. It is apparent that the lack of physical exercise, activity or movement puts individuals at risk not only for a heart attack, but for the development of several major diseases.
Studies suggest that more than 5 million people die worldwide yearly, due to an inactive lifetime. Needless to say, these major health factors can be eliminated in one hour, if people would commit to spend at least one hour per day exercising or doing some type of physical activity. The physical guidelines for adults to meet is approximately 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity per week.
The studies draw a conclusion from an analysis, which was published in The Lancet, which inspired a team of researchers to ask a profound question. If a person is more active, can this reduce or possibly eliminate, the increased risk of an early demise associated with excessive sitting? Afterwards, researchers analyzed 16 studies, and previewed the data collected from more than 1 million women and men. The study revealed that individuals were placed into four groups, depending on each group’s level of physical activity.
Groups with low exercise levels of less than five minutes were placed at the bottom, and groups whose physical activities ranged from 60 minutes or more, were placed at the top of the studies. Moderate intensity exercise was equal to walking 3 ½ miles per hour or cycling at 10 miles per hour. After the study, researchers concluded that one hour to one hour and 15 minutes were sufficient to subsequently prolong a person’s life span. However, three out of four people failed the study, when they failed to reach a level of daily physical activity acceptance.
Prolonged Sitting Increases Heart Disease – Early Death
Physically inactive individuals, regardless of how much time they spend sitting and being physically inactive, are 28% to 59% more likely to experience an early death, compared to individuals who are more active. This comparison can also be made when comparing the risk associated with smoking and obesity.
Professor Ulf Ekelund of the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge states that individuals can reduce or even eliminate those health risks associated with prolonged sitting, without going to the gym, or playing sports. This is particularly true for people who are confined to sitting job requirements, which keeps them sitting for long periods at a time.
They need to find a way to include exercise in their daily life. If an hour is not feasible, at least some amount of exercise can slightly reduce some health risk, and give individuals an advantage. Researchers realize that there are some limitations on the information they compiled, which were basically collected from study participants aged 45- years- old and older, and living in the United States, Europe and Australia.
However, researchers are convinced that the data the strengths or facets of the analysis, totally outweigh such limitations. They want to compile all studies and analysis of all data into one harmonized approach. This type of approach was never attempted before, of a study of this magnitude. Regardless of the outcome, the facts are plain to see in black and white. Individuals can increase their own lifespan, and eliminate heart disease and signs of early death, if they will commit to one hour of exercise or physical activity daily.
