Well, here's some bad news for those of us who spend our 9 to 5 hours behind a desk (like yours truly): sitting for long periods has been proven to actually DOUBLE your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and even death, according to a new study. What's even WORSE is that exercise seems to have no effect either way! That basically means that, even if you're an avid work out-aholic, if you also work in an office, you may be seriously endangering your health. So what are we supposed to do?!
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The study, which was published in the journal Diabetologia, found the link between sedentary behavior and health risks, but it didn't exactly prove cause and effect, either. However, it IS important to note that the biggest risk they found was between sitting and diabetes, so if you're at risk of diabetes, then maybe you should try limiting how much you sit! Dr. Emma Wilmont, a research fellow in the Diabetes Research Group at the University of Leicester, said in the university's news release, according to US News and World Report:
There are many ways we can reduce our sitting time, such as breaking up long periods at the computer at work by placing our laptop on a filing cabinet. We can have standing meetings, we can walk during the lunch break, and we can look to reduce TV viewing in the evenings by seeking out less sedentary behaviors.
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Well, I don't know about having "standing meetings" (doesn't that just sound seriously uncomfortable?) but I am definitely a big supporter of taking a walk during lunch breaks or even walking to your coworker's desk to ask a question instead of sending an e-mail or calling them. I also try to get up once an hour to either get some water or just stretch my legs. Well, at least that's part of the plan–until researchers can figure out just what is going on!
Image via Victor1558/flickr
