Middle-aged office workers sit for longer than over-75s

Study shows we’re ‘dangerously sedentary’

MOST middle-aged office workers spend more time sitting down than over-75s, research has found.

The Edinburgh University study concluded large parts of the population are “dangerously sedentary”.

It revealed 45 to 54-year-olds spend on average 7.8 hours per weekday sitting down, compared with 7.4 hours for older pensioners. Only the youngest group surveyed – 16 to 24-year-olds – are less sedentary than over-75s on weekdays.

Office work is the main reason for the inactivity but for the youngest group, most of the time sitting down is in front of a TV or screen.

The situation reverses at the weekend, when those aged 25 to 54 were the least sedentary, sitting for between 5.2 and 5.7 hours a day, and older pensioners were the most sedentary, at 7.3 to 7.4 hours.

Researchers drew upon data from more than 14,000 people, taken from the 2012-14 Scottish Health Survey. The findings were published in the Journal of Sports Sciences.

Experts warn sitting down for more than seven hours a day increases the risk of an early death, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers – even if people are physically active at other times of the day.

Lead researcher Tessa Strain said: “Large parts of the population are dangerously sedentary. We need to tackle high levels of sedentary time in early and middle age, when patterns may develop.

“Our findings suggest that changing habits in the workplace could be an appropriate place to start, given how much time we spend sitting there every day.”

Another recent study found “tentative evidence” to suggest sit-to-stand desks could reduce sedentary time at work.