Sitting for more than two hours at a stretch dramatically lowers cardiorespiratory fitness levels, a new study finds.
Researchers of a new study say that sedentary behaviors for long durations have a bad impact on cardiorespiratory fitness. They pointed out that sitting for two hours at a stretch is as harmful as working out for 20 minutes is beneficial.
"Previous studies have reported that sedentary behavior was associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular outcomes; however, the mechanisms through which this occurs are not completely understood," said Dr. Jarett Berry, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Clinical Science and senior author of the study, in a press statement. "Our data suggest that sedentary behavior may increase risk through an impact on lower fitness levels, and that avoiding sedentary behavior throughout the day may represent an important companion strategy to improve fitness and health, outside of regular exercise activity."
For the study, the researchers examined accelerometer data of 2,223 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). All participants were aged between 12 and 49 and had no history of heart disease, asthma, or stroke. From the data, researchers recorded each participant's average daily physical activity and sedentary behavior times. The study authors found that the negative effect of six hours of sedentary time on fitness levels was similar in magnitude to the benefit of one hour of exercise.
"We also found that when sitting for prolonged periods of time, any movement is good movement, and was also associated with better fitness," said Dr. Jacquelyn Kulinski, first author of the paper. "So if you are stuck at your desk for a while, shift positions frequently, get up and stretch in the middle of a thought, pace while on a phone call, or even fidget."
Findings of the current study were published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the American Heart Association, and an unrestricted endowment provided to Dr. Berry by the Dedman Family.
