According to a recent study, for people over age 60, every extra hour of the day spent sitting is linked to an increased risk for developing life-altering physical disabilities.
The study, conducted by researchers at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, analyzed data collected from 2,286 adults over the age of 60 who had participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. From 2002 to 2005, each study participant wore an accelerometer – a device that monitors physical activity – to objectively assess their levels of activity, or inactivity. Additionally, researchers gathered health data from the participants to determine their risk of disability.
The findings, published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, revealed that every extra hour spent sitting down a day could increase the chance of disability by 50 percent. Researchers stressed that even seniors who worked out frequently but spent a lot of time sitting were at risk. The researchers stressed that being physically active is important, but avoiding a sedentary lifestyle is even more important.
The study did not properly examine the mechanisms behind the link between sitting and the increased risk for disability. But the researchers theorized that it was due to muscles burning less fat and blood flow becoming sluggish for people who sit for extended periods of time.
While the findings of the study were eye opening, further research will be needed to definitively prove the link between sitting and an increased risk for disability.
Evan Hopkins is a 24 year old writer operating out of Atlanta, GA. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys reading books, drinking coffee, and folk music.