Sit Shorter – Live Longer

Prolonged sitting time (ST) is associated with higher mortality. However, previous studies used only a single measure of ST at baseline, so they could not directly assess the effect of continued exposure to high ST, or of changes in ST, on mortality. We prospectively assessed the association of continued sedentariness and of changes in ST for 2 yr with subsequent long-term all-cause mortality.

A study of people over 60 found those who sit more, died sooner. From 2001 and 2003, 2635 people were classified as consistently sedentary, newly sedentary, formerly sedentary, and consistently non sedentary. During the followup from 2003 through 2011 showed 846 people died.

Researchers found that:

“Compared with persons who were consistently sedentary, the hazard ratios for mortality were 0.91 in those who were newly sedentary, 0.86 in formerly sedentary individuals, and 0.75 in those who remained consistently non sedentary.”

“The results were similar across strata defined according to obesity, morbidity, functional limitations, or meeting recommendations for physical activity.”

“Conclusion: Compared with older adults who were consistently sedentary during 2 yr, consistently nonsedentary individuals showed reduced all-cause mortality. Individuals who changed ST experienced an intermediate reduction in mortality.”

In other words…sit shorter~live longer.

Continued Sedentariness, Change in Sitting Time, and Mortality in Older Adults. Luz M. León-Muñoz, David Martínez-Gómez, Teresa Balboa-Castillo, Esther López-García, Pilar Guallar-Castillón, Fernando Rodríguez-Artalejo Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013;45(8):1501-1507. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/808443