A new study has discovered that sitting at your desk all day can be more damaging to your health than not exercising. Scientists have discovered that prolonged periods sitting down can increase the chances of diabetes and other health problems like heart disease.
Research from the University of Leicester has claimed that limiting the amount of time sitting still during the day can help prevent heart disease, blood clots and even reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The report concluded that by taking frequent desk breaks was more important than moderate to vigorous exercise.
The study examined activity levels and sedentary time in almost 900 patients and discovered that cutting the amount of sitting time by just 90 minutes had important health benefit.
In previous studies, according to “The Independent”, we apparently can spend from 9 to 10 hours a day sitting, either at the office, in the car or in front of the television.
Dr. Joseph Henson, a diabetes researcher at the University commented: “The longer the time you spend sitting, the higher the amount of sugars and fats that accumulate in your bloodstream regardless of the time you spend exercising. There’s a significant difference between people who sit a lot and those who don’t. Those who spend the least time sitting have the lowest values of glucose and fats in their blood.”
The doctor continued that waist-high desks could be a new idea for offices: “Standing desks are a great initiative – I’ve got one myself. I reckon I spend about 80 per cent of my time at work standing up.”
So if you like running around the office every afternoon, now you have an excuse…
