Why the Amount of Time You Are Sitting Matters to Your Health
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(BOSTON) — More evidence has surfaced showing that sitting too long is linked to earlier death.
For a study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Harvard scientists investigated the link between sedentary lifestyles, physical activity and heart disease risk in over 71,000 post-menopausal women aged 50-79 years old during a 12-year period.
They found that women who sat for 10 hours or more were likelier to have a heart attack or a stroke — especially if they were overweight and over age 70.
Compared to more active women who sat for five hours a day or less, the sedentary women had a 63-percent greater risk of developing heart disease — independent of leisure-time physical activity.
The authors suggest taking breaks from prolonged sitting down, even just by standing up or taking short walks.
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