Previous studies have suggested that higher levels of sitting are linked with cancer, diabetes, heart disease and early death, independently of whether a person does regular exercise. A new study conducted by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London revealed that targeting physical activity and increasing the level of exercise does not make any great difference to reduce prolonged sitting, rather one should concentrate on decreasing the sitting time.
The researchers examined the strategies that had been used to reduce prolonged sitting and observed that one who followed to reduce their sitting time had 60% more benefits in prolonged sitting compared to ones who did not reduce their sitting time and faced only 39%. The research team explained, "Some of the promising interventions could be like the provision of sit-stand desks at work, encouraging people to keep records of their own sitting time, setting individual goals for limiting sitting time, and using prompts and cues to remind people to stop them sitting."
Dr. Benjamin Gardner at King's College London said, "Our findings will be of interest to researchers and practitioners designing new ways to reduce prolonged sitting, as well as to anyone looking to improve their health by reducing their own sitting time in their day-to-day lives."
The findings of the study suggested that sitting time should be viewed as a separate behavior change target to physical activity.
The research is published in Health Psychology Review.