How sitting down all day is slowly killing you – and how to fix it

Is sedentary work really contributing to obesity, diabetes and heart disease?

Whether it’s scrolling through your phone, responding to emails or watching TV, so much of daily life revolves around being planted on a chair. If you’re sitting down for nine hours – more than half of the waking day – you’re simply in line with the UK average. Office workers are likely clocking up even more, as they’re tied to their desk for seven hours daily, on average, before time commuting or on the sofa is even factored in.

But the nation’s sitting habit is damaging our health. Research has warned that being stationary for too long increases the risk of weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, cancer and an early grave. It’s so detrimental to our health that even taking a nap is better.

A recent study from the University of Queensland found that just three hours of playing video games – typically involving sitting while hunched over a controller – was enough to double the risk of musculoskeletal problems such as neck and back pain. The study focused on gamers but lead researcher Janni Leung noted that they spend less time on a computer than office staff.

Her findings echo earlier research into the perils of sedentary work first highlighted in a 1953 paper by the UK’s Medical

Research Council. The team studied bus drivers, who were seated for almost all of their shift, and conductors, who climbed hundreds of stairs during their working day. Results revealed that drivers were twice as likely to die from heart disease as conductors.

In 2017, a Warwick University study found that people with desk jobs have bigger waists and a higher risk of heart disease than staff who are on the go. Analysis of more than 100 postal workers revealed staff who were officebased had an extra 3cm ( just over one inch) on their waistlines, a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and higher levels of “bad” cholesterol than workers who delivered post.

Then, a paper from University College London in November warned that any type of activity – even taking a nap – is better for health than sitting. Scientists, who observed more than 15,000 people wearing movement-tracking gadgets, found that swapping 30 minutes of sedentary behaviour with sleeping was linked to a half-point drop in BMI and 1.75cm (two thirds of an inch) reduction in waist size. Bigger improvements were seen if people instead did half an hour of walking, running or climbing stairs.

A separate analysis by Queen’s University Belfast in 2019 warned that the sitting epidemic was behind nearly 70,000 deaths in the UK every year, costing the NHS £800million. Other studies have linked excessive sitting with cancer, osteoporosis, reduced quality of life, depression, anxiety, stress and even dementia.

“Evidence is rapidly accumulating suggesting that excessive sedentary time is associated with a plethora of physical and mental health complications,” says Professor Lee Smith, an expert in physical activity and sedentary behaviour at Anglia Ruskin University.

The health risks are partly brought on by sedentary behaviour slowing down metabolism – shrinking the number of calories the body burns per day. This interferes with the regulation of blood sugar, blood pressure and the breakdown of fat, which can lead to weight gain.

Frequent sitting can also be a marker of other unhealthy behaviours, such as too much snacking and too little exercise, which can further expand the waistline, Prof Smith says.

James Betts, professor of metabolic physiology at the University of Bath, warns that being too sedentary may also lead to weaker muscles. “Using your muscles and loading your bones can definitely strengthen them – or conversely, disuse can rapidly make them weaker,” he says.

Long periods of sitting also raises the risk of developing a blood clot in the veins of the legs.

“Many people are aware about the risks of sitting for long periods because we are often told about them before long haul flights – the risk is that blood can pool in our legs if muscle activity does not help to pump blood back up to the heart,” says Professor Betts.

Too much sitting can be an easy problem to rectify for most. “For all of us,” says Prof Betts, “it is advisable both to limit the total time spent sitting and, even if you must sit for eight to nine hours, for example due to the nature of your work, it is best to interrupt that sedentary time.”

Prof Smith recommends breaking up every 20 minutes of being sedentary with two minutes of standing or movement.

For people based at home, this could involve getting up from a chair during every TV advert break or after reading six pages of a book, he said. Other habits to pick up could include standing during phone calls or going for a walk after dinner, he said.

Workers based in an office should regularly take breaks from their desk, such as by getting a glass of water or speaking to colleagues in-person rather than over email, he suggests, adding that holding meetings where staff are required to walk and using a standing desk are other options.

People who are unable to stand or have limited opportunities to do so shouldn’t panic too much, according to Prof Betts.

It’s definitely not “the new smoking”, despite this mantra being parroted by some researchers, he says. “However, for those who can get up from their seat, it is a good idea to take this opportunity, not just to stand in situ but to move around. Some people find it useful to schedule regular reminders.”

Studies have also suggested that finding just a few minutes for short bursts of exercise can offset the harms of too much sitting.

A review from the Arctic University of Norway found that, while more than 12 hours of sitting per day raised the likelihood of an early grave by 38 per cent, a 22-minute brisk walk, cycle or other form of moderate to vigorous exercise eliminated this heightened risk.

Sitting is behind nearly 70,000 deaths in the UK every year, costing the NHS £800million