Prolonged sitting increases the risk of death from cancer

A new study has revealed that sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time during the day increases the risk of death from cancer. Experts state that even light activities, such as a short walk in the office or household chores, can reduce this risk.
elchi reports that researchers from the University of Glasgow have been monitoring more than 90,000 people for over 10 years. According to findings published in the journal “PLOS Medicine,” sitting or lying down for more than 30 minutes while awake increases the risk of death from cancer. Each additional hour of continuous inactivity further increases this risk.
However, the study showed that breaking up these inactive periods with physical activity can have a protective effect. It was noted that getting up and moving every half hour has a significantly positive impact on health.
The power of light movements
Lead study author Dr. Frederick Ho stated that current health guidelines mainly focus on moderate or vigorous exercise, but their findings suggest that light movements should not be overlooked. Analyzing data from wearable technology devices of more than 91,000 participants in the UK Biobank project, experts followed the participants for an average of 12 years. The results showed that each additional hour of daily inactivity is associated with a 10% increase in the risk of death from cancer. Conversely, replacing sedentary time with movement reduces the risk. According to the study:
Replacing one hour of daily inactivity with light physical activity, such as ironing or washing dishes, reduces the risk of death from cancer by 12%. Replacing 30 minutes of daily inactivity with a moderate-paced walk reduces the risk by 8%.
Replacing five minutes of inactivity with five minutes of vigorous physical activity reduces the risk by 22%.
Although statistical analyses are based on an observational study and therefore cannot definitively prove a cause-and-effect relationship, experts emphasize the clinical importance of developing personalized strategies to reduce sitting time.