The health risks of a sedentary lifestyle have been known for some time, but a new study now focuses on the increased risk of death in older women.
The majority of people sit for several hours a day. Sedentary jobs are more the rule than the exception and when we finally get home after a long day, we eat while sitting down and then collapse on the couch. Retirees also spend a large part of their day sitting. A dangerous trend, because a sedentary lifestyle entails all kinds of health risks, from diabetes to cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
Keep moving
A new study from the University of California San Diego that was published in the Journal of the American heart association has now focused specifically on the consequences of prolonged sitting in women between the ages of 63 and 99. About 6,500 women were treated for up to ten years. followed every day for a long time to analyze their sitting and exercise behavior.
This study not only shows that older women spend a lot of time sitting, but also that their risk of death increases by 30% when they sit for 11.7 hours or more every day. This also applies to those who regularly exercise moderately to intensively.
The scientists therefore recommend not only exercising regularly, but also exercising for 4 to 5 minutes every half hour. Our bodily functions function better when we are in motion and are therefore better able to avoid conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
