Modern life makes it easy to stay seated for hours at a time. Whether you're working at a desk, driving between appointments or relaxing in front of the TV, long stretches of sitting have become part of many people's daily routine.
But scientists now believe that how long you remain seated without moving could matter more than previously thought.
According to a new study led by researchers at the University of Glasgow and published in the medical journal PLOS Medicine, prolonged periods of uninterrupted sitting were associated with a higher risk of cancer and cancer-related death, reports Science Daily.
More than total sitting time
The research team analysed data from 91,292 adults taking part in the UK Biobank. Participants wore activity trackers continuously for seven days, allowing scientists to accurately measure their daily movement and sedentary behaviour. Researchers then followed their health for a median of 12.38 years.
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Rather than looking only at the total amount of time people spent sitting, the researchers examined how that sitting time was accumulated.
They found that long, uninterrupted periods of at least 30 minutes were linked to poorer health outcomes than sitting that was regularly broken up with movement.
Each additional hour of prolonged sedentary behaviour was associated with a 9% higher risk of dying from cancer. The researchers also observed links between extended sitting and a higher incidence of obesity-related cancers and cancers associated with type 2 diabetes.
Small changes matter
The findings also highlighted a potential benefit of simply moving more often during the day. Replacing one hour of prolonged sitting with light physical activity was associated with a 12% lower risk of cancer death.
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The study suggests that regular movement, even if it does not qualify as moderate or vigorous exercise, may still play an important role in supporting long-term health.
Activities such as standing up, walking around the office or taking short movement breaks could all help reduce long periods of uninterrupted sitting.
- Researchers analysed data from 91,292 UK adults.
- Participants were followed for more than 12 years.
- Every extra hour of prolonged sitting was linked to a 9% higher risk of cancer death.
- Replacing one hour of prolonged sitting with light activity was associated with a 12% lower risk.
Important limitations
The researchers stress that the study was observational, meaning it cannot prove that prolonged sitting directly causes cancer.
They also note that UK Biobank participants tend to be healthier than the general population, so the findings may not apply equally to everyone.
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Even so, the study adds to growing evidence that reducing long, uninterrupted periods of sitting could become an important part of future public health advice.
While regular exercise remains essential, the findings suggest that getting up and moving throughout the day may also have meaningful health benefits.
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This article is made and published by Mie Hermansen, who may have used AI in the preparation.