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Monday, January 25, 2010

SITTING TOO MUCH could be deadly

Study suggest that people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die. While health officials issued guidelines recommending minimum amounts of physical activity, they have not suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.

Research said that; after 4 hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals. Genes regulating the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down. Even people who exercise, spending long stretches of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. People who exercise daily - but still spend a lot of time sitting - might get more benefit if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single bout.

In a study published last year that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians about a dozen years researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, independently of whether or not they exercised. But it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this sedentary behavior, the better.

Be aware, figures from a U.S. survey in 2003-2004 found Americans spend more than half their time sitting, from working at their desks to sitting on cars.


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