It’s a fact: Most Americans live a sedentary lifestyle. Yet doing so now could literally kill us, according to a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Reviewing a total of 43 previous studies, researchers say that an additional two hours of sedentary behavior, regardless of actual physical activity, increased the risk of some cancers, including lung, colon, and endometrial cancer.
As for the reasons why, researchers suspect those who are sedentary engage in other unhealthy behaviors as well–such as drinking excessively, eating more processed foods, or maintaining a unhealthy weight.
“The findings of our study may encourage public health efforts to expand physical activity recommendations to reduce time spent in sedentary behavior,” says Daniela Schmid, co-author of the study and a faculty member in the University of Regensburg’s Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. “Cutting down on TV viewing and sedentary time is just as important as becoming more active. For those whose jobs require them to sit at a desk for most of the day, we recommend breaking up the time spent sitting by incorporating short bouts of light physical activity into the daily routine.”
Schmid originally made these findings after analyzing a total of 43 studies that looked at sedentary behavior and incidences of cancer. In total, the studies included more than 4 million people, of which 68,936 developed cancer. In most of the the studies, researchers questioned the participants about how long they spent engaging in sedentary behavior–such as watching TV, sitting down as part of a job, or otherwise staying inactive due to varying circumstances.
Schmid then compared their sedentary behavior to the amount of cancer cases reported during these studies, and found a match.
For those who stayed active, their risk of developing cancer wasn’t as high. But for those who stayed sedentary, their risk of developing colon cancer rose by 24 percent. Moreover, women who didn’t stay active also faced a 32 percent higher risk of endometrial cancer.
Worse yet, Schmid estimated that for every two hour increase in sedentary behavior, their risk of colon cancer rose by 8 percent–and for women, their risk of endometrial cancer rose by 10 percent.
However, other cancers, such as rectal, breast, stomach, prostate, and ovarian cancer, were not shown to increase or decrease as a result of inactivity.
“We found that TV viewing was associated with an increased risk of cancers of the colon and the endometrium,” says Schmid. “We further observed that the results were independent of physical activity, showing that sedentary behavior represents a potential cancer risk factor distinct from physical inactivity.”
As a result, researchers say that while exercise is helpful for reducing the risk of certain cancers, it’s just not enough–instead, you need to focus on changing your entire lifestyle. Keeping yourself moving throughout the day, instead of devoting 1 hour of free time to exercise, may have a more profound impact on your cancer risk, says Schmid.
As for ways to stay active, it’s easier said than done–but health experts recommend avoiding sedentary behavior by getting up every hour to move around, walk instead of driving, and taking the time to talk with your colleagues in person instead of using email.
While the steps may seem insignificant, they can make a big difference, according to Schmid.
Readers: What are some ways you stay active throughout the day?
Sources:
Sitting Too Long May Increase Your Cancer Risk – CNN.com
How Sitting For Long Periods Might Contribute to Certain Cancers – Forbes.com
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