A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of premature death

That is the conclusionPatterns of Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults. Researchers from Columbia University came. To understand the relationship between a sedentary lifestyle and premature mortality, they are for four years tracked the habits 8000 participants aged 45 years and older. To measure the time they spent sitting, the participants wore accelerometers fitted on the thigh.

It was found that an average of 16 hours of the day they spent sitting 12 hours. "And with the years when the physiological and mental functions of the body deteriorates, we sit more and more - says cardiologist Keith Diaz (Keith Diaz), lead author of the study. - It only increases the risk of death. In this case, neither age nor sex, nor weight, nor sports do not affect the result. "

For those who are sitting in the day more than 13 hours increases the risk of premature death by half.

Nevertheless, scientists distinguish between two values: a total daily time spent sitting, and a continuous period of immobility. If you sit still no longer than 30 minutes, the risk of early death is reduced by 55%.

Therefore Diaz advised to take breaks every half hour, you stayed in place. Get up and move or walk briskly for five minutes.