Does your occupation require you to sit for long hours? Beware, it may worsen your health and raise the risk of death similar to that of obesity and smoking, warned a doctor on Thursday.
“If you sit for more
than 8 hours daily and don't do any physical activity, your risk of dying is
similar to that posed by smoking and obesity,” Dr Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist
from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said in a post on social media platform
X.com.
The neurologist noted
that “health hazards associated with prolonged sitting are increased risk of
diabetes, hypertension, abdominal adiposity (obesity), elevated LDL cholesterol
& triglycerides, heart attack, stroke, cancer, and premature death”.
To counter the ill
effects of prolonged sitting, Dr Sudhir suggested “60-75 minutes of moderately
intense physical activity daily (such as brisk walking, running or cycling)”.
However, he warned that
sitting for more than 13 hours daily, while also doing exercise “cannot counter
the ill-effects posed by prolonged sitting”.
The doctor advised
taking 5-minute standing or walking breaks after every 30-45 minutes of sitting
while suggesting some measures to minimise sitting duration.
“Prefer standing work
desks, have meetings and coffee breaks in standing position, reduce
leisure-time sitting (such as while watching TV, mobile phones, other
electronic gadgets), and schedule 45-60 minutes walk daily,” Dr Sudhir said.
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