You’ve probably heard that Americans spend too much time sitting on their duffs. Well, not much has changed. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans still sit too much. In fact, 4 out of 10 adults don’t get any moderate or vigorous exercise on a weekly basis.
Sitting for long periods is bad for you – this isn’t anything you probably don’t already know. But a leading cardiologists’ group warns that even if you exercise, spending too much time on your tush still takes a major toll on your heart. [1]
Let me be specific: you can’t just exercise a couple of times a week and expect to make up for 5 straight days of sitting, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) panel.
It’s bad news for those who work in an office. A new study shows that sitting for eight hours per day can be as dangerous as obesity and even smoking. But there is something one can do to reverse this damage – exercise (or just get moving) for one hour per day!
Eating too much junk food, smoking cigarettes, drinking too much alcohol – all these things can shorten our lives, and we know it. So set on proving most of the things that are terrible for us are fun, scientists from the University of Sydney followed more than 230,000 people aged 45 and older for 6 years. The team assembled a list of 6 ‘deadly sins’
Researcher Dr. Melody Ding, said:
Your fidgeting may drive your boss crazy, but being restless at your desk may save you from the damning statistic that sitting for more than 8 or 9 hours a day raises your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and early death.
