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433K People Die Every Year Because they Sat for Too Long

  • September 27, 2016

Can you imagine dying just because you were sitting too long?

It’s true. Sit too long — more than three hours per day — and you just may be sending yourself to an early grave. As reported by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a nine-year study of data collected from 54 countries has shown that as many as 433,000 deaths occur each year simply from spending too much time in a chair.

This adds to mounting research that suggests sitting is detrimental to both your physical and mental wellbeing. In fact, one meta-analysis of 42 studies found that sitting is associated with a number of health risks, including cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer incidence and Type 2 diabetes.

This is true even if you exercise daily. Compelling evidence shows that when you sit for lengths of time, disease processes set in that independently raise your mortality risk, even if you eat right, exercise regularly and are very fit; even a professional or Olympic level athlete.

On average, a U.S. adult spends nine to 10 hours sitting each day. Much of this may be attributable to your work environment — and that is why I offer my own employees standing desks, so they can have the option of getting out of their chairs and on their feet.

If you’re concerned about getting off your seat and on your feet and embarking on an all-round health program, a nutrient tracker called a chronometer may be a useful tool.