What happens to the body if you sit for 8 hours a day

Remain seated over eight hours increases the chances of ending up in overweight or to develop a condition obesity. Which doesn’t happen if you don’t move for just four hours. A survey recently published in the magazine explains it Bmc Public Health which took into consideration the data of almost 8,000 people between the ages of 20 and 65, divided in half between men and women, who had in turn participated in the Latin American Study on Nutrition and Health (Elans), a larger investigation involving Argentine, Brazilian, Chilean, Colombian, Costa Rican, Ecuadorian, Peruvian and Venezuelan nationals. The average time spent sitting by the volunteers was 420 minutes a day, or seven hours, with Ecuadorians around 300 and Argentines and Peruvians with the maximum threshold of 480 minutes.

While it is true that a maximum number of minutes of sedentary lifestyle linked to health consequences has not been identified, the World Health Organization obviously recommends minimize it. “We were convinced that any intense physical exercise could compensate for a sedentary life,” he explained Irina KovalskysPhD and pediatric nutrition specialist at the Catholic University of Argentina, as well as principal investigator of the great Elans project – but we now know that a sedentary lifestyle in general and sitting time in particular have a direct effect and are a independent risk factor for chronic diseases. As if to say: it is not enough to try to balance a very sedentary life with a few sessions of exercise, perhaps intense. A message that should pass above all towards adolescents to promote a healthier lifestyle from an early age.

The study, as reported Medscape, has therefore tried to establish a time limit for sitting after which the risk of becoming overweight or obese increases. She did it by employing three indicators of excess weight: the famous body mass index (BMI), the circumference of the waist and that of the neck. The result? Sitting for more than eight hours increased the odds of being overweight 10% when measured by the Bmi and del 13% referring to the neck circumference. The latter is a more recent parameter and is less studied in scientific literature but still a valid indicator, with good sensitivity and advantages over others, such as ease of measurement and lack of variation over time. In the study the neck circumference was proportionally greater in people who sat for more than four, six and eight hours a day compared with those who sat for fewer hours.

“What is important is the uninterrupted period in which one remains seated – added Kovalskys – the recommendation is of break those sitting times with active periods. Healthcare professionals have already incorporated the concept of moderate to vigorous exercise but non-vigorous activities are still enough to reduce sitting time. Yoga may not be vigorous but it is invaluable for reducing sitting time.” In other words, it is necessary get smart in everyday life: taking the stairs even if there is an elevator available, standing on the subway or bus, having a chat on the phone during a walk instead of lying on the sofa and so on.

There are many ways to do this. In addition to physical activity, it would be necessary to take breaks for each window of 30 to 60 minutes, so as to walk or ride a bike for two to ten minutes, do very simple activities of three minutes every thirty, alternately move the legs for one minute every four , small gestures (which fortunately sometimes come automatically to us) to mitigate the effects on cardiovascular health. Although not all studies on the subject have confirmed these positive effects, in the sense that in some groups or populations it may take longer and more intense activities to enjoy some advantage.

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