Researchers have assessed the fatal risk of long-term sedentary work: what to do

Are you tired of sitting at your desk all day long? It turns out that it’s not just tiring, but also bad for your health, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.

As CNN notes, people who primarily sit at work have a 16% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 34% higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. To counteract the increased risk, the researchers estimate that people who sit a lot at work would need to engage in an additional 15 to 30 minutes of physical activity per day to reduce their risk relative to the risk of people who are primarily non-sedentary.

What can desk workers do to reduce the increased health risks associated with inactivity? Is it better to be active in small amounts each weekday or should we save for one big block on the weekends? What about those already taking medications to treat obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases – what should they do?

CNN wellness expert Dr. Liana Wen, an emergency physician and adjunct professor at George Washington University, answers these questions. She previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner.

Regarding the study’s findings, which show that people who sit primarily at work have 16% higher all-cause mortality and 34% higher mortality from cardiovascular disease, Dr. Liana Wen says, “I’m not surprised by the bottom line.” research, although the magnitude of the effect is large and should certainly be a call to action.”

For years, Dr. Wen continues, we have known that sitting for long periods of time has negative effects on health—that it increases the risk of chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and death from cardiovascular disease. Research has also shown that even light activity that reduces periods of prolonged sitting can reduce this risk. One 2023 study from Columbia University found that people who did just five minutes of light activity every 30 minutes saw their post-meal blood sugar levels drop by nearly 60%. Those who performed just one minute of exercise every 30 minutes saw a decrease in blood pressure.

It’s important to note that the exercise people did in this study was not intense. Rather, it was walking slowly on a treadmill at 1.9 miles per hour, which is slower than most people walk.

Another study from 2023 found that replacing 30 minutes of sedentary time with very light activity, such as walking or standing, led to improvements in key indicators such as body mass index (BMI) and cholesterol levels. Higher-intensity exercise produced more benefits, but the key point here is that light activity for short periods of time also produced benefits.

This new JAMA Network open-label study is important because it includes so many participants—more than 480,000—and the researchers followed them for an average of nearly 13 years. They also took into account gender, age, education, smoking and drinking status, and BMI. “I think it’s remarkable,” said Dr. Liana Wen, “that they found such a pronounced difference in mortality from all causes and especially from cardiovascular disease.

Imagine if there was a drug that could significantly reduce your chances of dying from heart disease. This would be very popular! Or conversely, what if there was a lifestyle habit that increased people’s chances of dying from a heart attack or stroke? People would do a lot to change this habit, as they should when they sit for long periods of time at work.”

But what can desk-bound workers do to reduce the increased health risks associated with inactivity?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week. This works out to about 22 minutes a day, or if people exercise, say, five times a week, then it takes about 30 minutes each time. Ideally, people can set aside time for brisk walking, jogging, cycling, elliptical training, or other physical activity for at least that amount of time per week.

Many office workers already participate in some version of these classes, but they can work on increasing the duration and intensity of the sessions, says Liana Wen. Instead of taking a walk around the neighborhood once before dinner, how about taking two walks? Instead of going to the gym twice a week, how about three times? Could they park a few blocks further and walk to and from work faster? These small changes can make a difference.

In fact, this doesn’t have to be a drastic change: very small amounts of light physical activity during work hours can improve health. They are sometimes called “workout snacks.” Some things people can do include getting up every 30 minutes to an hour to stretch or walk around their office—or for people who work from home, in their home, apartment hallway, or yard. Those with more mobility issues can still perform stretches such as side bends and chair crunches. Practicing breathing exercises that deeply engage the diaphragm can also help.

A study published last year found that only half the recommended amount of exercise had a big impact on improving health. While those who reached the threshold of 150 minutes per week saw the most significant benefit, just 75 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week (which is only about 11 minutes per day) was associated with a 23% reduction in the risk of premature death. It also reduced the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and cancer.

“For me, the main takeaway is that a little exercise is better than none,” says Dr. Wen. – The more the better, if possible, but people who are currently leading a sedentary lifestyle should not be scared. Everyone needs to start where they are and consider their current fitness level, time constraints, type of job they have, and so on.”

If someone is already active, they can increase the frequency and intensity of their exercise. But if someone doesn’t, they can start with the basics and start walking slowly around their neighborhood. Those who are short on time can try combining these walks with phone calls. They could perform basic mobility and strength exercises, including those that do not require any additional equipment. And they could incorporate “workout snacks” into their workday. Perhaps they could set an alarm to get up, walk around and stretch every hour. Simple changes in behavior, if done consistently, add up over time.

When asked by CNN, “Is it better to be active in small amounts during the workdays or to save up for one big block on the weekends?” Dr. Wen replies, “Definitely the former. Prolonged inactivity poses health risks. Ideally, people can do both, with periods of more intense exercise—for example, cycling on the weekends and running during the week—in addition to getting up more often to stop sitting during the day. But those who engage in intense exercise only once a weekend should not think that this is enough to counteract the damage caused by prolonged sitting during the week.”

People with chronic illnesses should, of course, consult with their healthcare provider to make sure their fitness regimen is safe and right for them, but improving their health won’t come from taking medications alone. Fitness and physical activity are key components of a healthy lifestyle, the expert states.