Sitting down for too long 'causes health problems - even if you exercise'

Sitting down for too long can cause a range of health problems, even among
those who exercise regularly, experts have claimed.

Recent research suggests that inactivity increases the chances of developing diabetes and heart disease, independently of how often someone works out.

One study found that that the chance of developing metabolic syndrome, a condition which can lead to diabetes, rose by 26 per cent for every extra hour a woman spent watching television, no matter how much exercise she took.

Doctors from the Karolinska Institute and the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm said that the only way to minimise the effects was to cut the amount of time that we spend inactive.

They suggest simple changes, such as taking the lifts instead of the stairs, or walking around the office for a few minutes during the working day.

The researchers admit that scientists do not yet fully understand why spending long periods sitting down can increase the chances of developing health problems.

But they warn that the chemical reactions triggered in the body by being inactive for too long cannot be cancelled out by taking more exercise.

The article, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, claims: “In the future, the focus in clinical practice and guidelines should not only be to promote and prescribe exercise, but also to encourage people to maintain their intermittent levels of daily activities [that involve movement].”

“Climbing the stairs, rather than using elevators and escalators, five minutes of break during sedentary work, or walking to the store rather than taking the car will be as important as exercise.”