Is it bad to spend many hours sitting?

Sitting more than six hours a day increases the risk of mortality , especially in the case of women, according to a recent study published by the American Cancer Society with data from more than 123,000 people over a period of 14 years. The research revealed that women who claimed to spend more than six hours a day sitting – even if they later exercised – were 37 percent more likely to die in the period studied (1993-2006) than those who sat for less than three hours. hours. In the case of sedentary men, the risk of mortality was 18 percent higher.

The absence of exercise makes matters even worse, as women and men who sit longer and are less physically active are 94 to 48 percent more likely to die than those who are more active. Prolonged sitting affects the hormones that regulate the production of triglycerides and cholesterol , which in turn can trigger heart problems.

The good news is that, according to Australian research published in the European Heart Journal , the negative effects are reduced if we periodically take breaks of at least one minute to move around the room, refill a glass of water, go to the table of a co-worker instead of writing him an email … These types of breaks reduce the levels of C-reactive protein, a molecule that increases its levels in response to inflammation and is considered an important cardiovascular risk factor .