Uninterrupted sitting more deadly than thought

A recently published study in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that elderly people who sit for long periods without breaks have a significantly increased risk of premature death. The study followed nearly 6,000 women ages 63 to 99 for 8 years and looked at the relationship between sitting behavior and mortality risk. Women who sat more than 11 hours daily had a 57% higher risk of death compared with women who sat less than 9 hours a day. In addition, women who sat for more than 15 consecutive minutes on average without a break had a 43% higher mortality risk than women who sat for less than 9 consecutive minutes on average. The results indicate that limiting the total time seniors spend sitting and taking regular breaks to exercise are very important for health. This can help reduce the risk of premature death. The researchers recommend that older people get up at least once an hour for a while during prolonged sitting. Even small adjustments can make a big difference.