Why Sitting Down All Day Could Kill You

What’s the most dangerous thing you’ll do today? Is it speeding on the freeway? Is it smoking? Is it having a few drinks with dinner? Is it skipping dinner because you’re too busy?

No, chances are, you’re doing the most dangerous thing you’ll do all day right now, if you’re sitting down as you read this.

A new article published in Men’s Health is blowing up right now because it mentions a Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise study claiming that people who sit for most of their day are up to 54 percent more likely to die of heart attacks.

(UPDATE: If this article wasn’t enough to motivate you, check out the new Sitting Will Kill You infographic)

If you sit down for most of the day, you’re much more likely to have a heart attack than someone who doesn’t.

Wait, wait, that must only apply to smokers, right? Or people who don’t work out? Doesn’t matter.

Scientists at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana analyzed the lifestyles of more than 17,000 men and women over the course of 13 years and found that people who sit for a good portion of the day are 54 percent more likely to die of a heart attack.

“We see it in people who smoke and people who don’t,” said lead researcher, professor Peter Katzmarzyk. “We see it in people who are regular exercisers and those who aren’t. Sitting is an independent risk factor.”

Believe it or not, this isn’t the first study to make this stunning revelation. Similar research actually dates back to 1953 when British researchers found that bus drivers who sit down for most of the day were twice as likely to die of heart attacks as trolley operators (who stand up for most of the day).

Are you kidding me? Twice as likely? This is disturbing.

Another report cited in a recent New York Times Magazine story tracked 123,000 Americans and found the death rate for those who spent six or more hours a day sitting was 20 percent higher than for men who sat for three hours or less. For women, the difference was a staggering 40 percent.

The best part? No one’s sure why this is. Sure, you burn fewer calories when you’re sitting down, but weight gain isn’t necessarily the primary reason that sitting is so bad for you.

We can make a guess, though. Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., one of Katzmarkzyk’s colleagues, thinks it could have to do with an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which breaks down fat in the bloodstream and turns it into energy.

Hamilton found that standing rats have ten times more LPL running through their veins that rats that lay down all day. It doesn’t matter how physically fit the rats are…as soon as they come off their feet (paws?), LPL levels plummet. The same thing probably happens in human beings.

Not only does sitting make you fatter, by the way, it also causes bad posture and contributes to lower back pain.

So what can you do? Here are a few tips:

Strategy #1: Take two breaks an hour. Grab a drink from the water fountain. Pop over to the cube next door to say hi. Or simply stand and stretch for a minute. A European Heart Journal study of 5,000 men and women found that the quarter who took the most breaks during the day were 1.6 inches thinner than the quarter who took the least.

Strategy #2: Stand during phone calls. It may seem like a small thing but, as Hamilton told Masters: “Small choices will help move you in the right direction. . . . It all adds up, and it all matters.”

Strategy #3: Don’t write long emails. If crafting an email will take longer than 15 minutes, go talk to the person instead. Or stand up and call them.

And if that’s not enough (and it may not be) . . .

Strategy #4: Ask HR for a standup desk. Australian researchers found that workers who log more than 6 hours of seat time a day are up to 68 percent more likely to be overweight. If you make the changes above and your waistline isn’t shrinking, a standup desk may be the answer. Make sure the screen is at arm’s length, and the top at eye level. Position the keyboard so your elbows are bent 90 degrees.