This generation sits more than 60 hours a week, potentially increasing their risk of heart disease and accelerating other signs of aging, according to new research from the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of California Riverside.
The study is one of the first to look at the impact of prolonged sitting on cholesterol and body mass index in young adults, reports Medical Xpress.
Young adults who sit 8.5 hours a day and perform at or below exercise recommendations could fall into a “moderate to high risk” category for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, the authors say.
Even meeting the physical activity recommendations of about 20 minutes per day of moderate exercise is not enough to counteract the dangers of prolonged sitting. Reducing the time spent sitting is necessary in addition to physical activity.
“Our research suggests that sitting less throughout the day, exercising more vigorously, or a combination of both may be necessary to reduce the risk of premature aging in early adulthood,” says Dr. lead author of the study Chandra Reynolds, professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Behavioral Genetics at the University of California Riverside.
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