Health Tip for Today ~ Sitting Too Long Raises Your Health Risk

Take a Break from Sitting

Sitting down all day with no physical activity can increase a person’s risk of developing health conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Staying physically active can help to reduce this risk. Sitting all day without adequate physical activity can also impact a person’s sleep quality, mental health, physical and cognitive abilities, and bone health. There is no hard and fast answer to the question of how many hours of sitting is unhealthy. It is different for everyone and can depend on factors such as how much exercise a person does each day.

According to the charity Just Stand, the following thresholds determine a person’s risk of developing health problems due to sitting:

• • Low risk: Sitting for less than 4 hours per day.
  • Medium risk: Sitting for 4–8 hours per day.
  • High risk: Sitting for 8–11 hours per day.
  • Very high risk: Sitting for more than 11 hours per day.

The CDC considers 150 minutesTrusted Source of moderate activity per week adequate to lower the risk of some health conditions associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

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