Does your occupation require you to sit for long hours? Beware, it may worsen your health and raise the risk of death similar to that of obesity and smoking, warned a doctor on Thursday.
“If you sit for more than 8 hours daily and don't do any physical activity, your risk of dying is similar to that posed by smoking and obesity,” Dr. Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said in a post on X.
The neurologist noted that “health hazards associated with prolonged sitting are increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, abdominal adiposity (obesity), elevated LDL cholesterol & triglycerides, heart attack, stroke, cancer, and premature death”.
To counter the ill effects of prolonged sitting, Dr Sudhir suggested “60-75 minutes of moderately intense physical activity daily (such as brisk walking, running or cycling)”.
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However, he warned that sitting for more than 13 hours daily, while also doing exercise “cannot counter the ill-effects posed by prolonged sitting”.
The doctor advised taking 5-minute standing or walking breaks after every 30-45 minutes of sitting while suggesting some measures to minimise sitting duration.
“Prefer standing work desks, have meetings and coffee breaks in standing position, reduce leisure-time sitting (such as while watching TV, mobile phones, other electronic gadgets), and schedule 45-60 minutes walk daily,” Dr Sudhir said.
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