London - Sitting down all day puts you at more risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
And before you put your trainers on to make up for a day at your desk, experts warn going to the gym won’t help either.
A study has found that for every hour each day an adult spends sitting down, the likelihood of developing heart disease goes up by 14 percent.
And a session at the gym won’t repair the damage because any increase in fitness from an hour’s exercise is undone by several hours of sitting. The study, presented at the American College of Cardiology in San Diego, California, adds to evidence of the damage caused by our sedentary lifestyles.
UK government research warned last year that inactivity was as deadly as smoking and responsible for a sixth of deaths in Britain.
Scientists from the Medical College of Wisconsin in the US looked at levels of activity of 2 031 adults whose average age was 50. They compared the number of hours spent sitting down each day with levels of deposits in blood vessels that signal for heart disease.
The adults spent two to 12 hours a day sitting at the office and then in front of the TV. Researchers found that for every hour spent sitting, the levels of artery deposits increased by 14 percent. Adults who went for regular runs, gym sessions or aerobics classes were no less at risk.
Lead researcher Dr Jacquelyn Kulinski, an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine, urged adults with office jobs to stand up or go for a walk every hour, adding: ‘Take a walk during lunch, pace while talking on the phone, take the stairs instead of the elevator and use a pedometer to track your daily steps.
‘And if you do have a sedentary job, don’t just go home at night and sit in front of the TV for hours.’
Daily Mail