By pH health care professionals

The issue of too much sitting has been catching national headlines, with recent studies associating that desk job with an increased risk of mortality. Research has shown prolonged sitting may increase your risk for fatty liver disease, and that even regular exercise may not be enough to counteract its harmful effects. Now, a new study is adding another reason to get that walking desk – your life span.

In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers wanted to find out what gains in life expectancy one might see when eliminating sitting for over three hours a day.

What they found was sitting time was responsible for 3.8 percent of deaths among 54 countries. That’s about 433,000 deaths a year. Sitting for zero to three hours was not associated with an increase in all-cause mortality, but sitting for over three hours was. They found that eliminating sitting time of over three hours would increase life expectancy by .20 years in American, Western Pacific, European, Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asian countries.

Be proactive

Many jobs and recreational activities are sedentary in nature. It’s become part of our lifestyle. It may be difficult to make changes at first, but small proactive steps like standing at work, walking more and finding active hobbies can help you enjoy a happy and healthy life. See if you can reduce the amount of hours you sit every day. Your older self will thank you!

Enjoy Your Healthy Life!

The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses and certified fitness instructors. To learn more about the pH Health Care Team, click here.