Updated on
Summary
Frequent breaks from sitting are found to lower heart disease risks and keep waists slimmer. Investigators at the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland, Australia discovered people who take frequent breaks from sitting, even for a minute, had smaller waistlines and lower levels of C-reactive protein - an inflammatory marker measured in the bloodstream. Too much sitting was also found to raise other markers of inflammation that indicate higher risk of diabetes and blocked arteries.The researcher at the University of Queensland, Australia, who led the study, said that overall, for length of sedentary time, the most clinically significant findings were for blood fats and markers of insulin resistance. For the number of breaks in sedentary time, the most significant differences were observed for waist circumference. The top 25% of people who took the most breaks had, on average, a 4.1cm smaller waist circumference than those in the lowest 25%. The results come from data that included 4,757 people aged 20 and over, taking part in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, between 2003 and 2006. Study participants wore a device called and accelerometer that measures sedentary time and activity. The scientists measured a number of indicators showing that sitting too long is bad for heart health that included waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and C - reactive protein concentrations.
