Saturday, January 23, 2010

Sitting for long hours is deadly: Study says

Sitting in front of computer for long hours places the individual at an increased risk of developing several health problems and even death, a new study finds.

According to the study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, sitting for long periods is associated with certain health concerns, suggesting that muscular inactivity causes illness.

These individuals are reported to be over weight and therefore more prone to suffering heart attack and even dying of the condition.

Even for those involved in regular exercises, spending long hours at a desk is harmful, the study found. "After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals," said lead researcher Elin Ekblom-Bak, adding that genes regulating the metabolism of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down after this period.

Scientists therefore urged individuals to make some movements after spending a couple of hours in a sitting position, stressing that spreading the exercise across the day is more beneficial.