New publications
A sedentary lifestyle is not as harmful as thought
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
A British university has found that a sedentary lifestyle is not as harmful to health and cannot be the cause of premature death as previously thought. However, experts have warned that minimal physical activity is necessary.
Researchers from different countries have repeatedly warned that the sedentary lifestyle that most people lead today leads to serious illnesses, in particular, diabetes, cardiovascular pathologies, fatty liver, and oncological tumors. The health risk for office workers is especially noted, since they are forced to spend a long time sitting at a desk and move around the office very little. Scientists note that for liver tissue to degenerate, it is not necessary to drink alcohol without measure; it is enough to work as a simple employee in an office.
In one of the latest studies by a group of American scientists, it was found that women with a sedentary lifestyle have a 10% increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and multiple myeloma. According to the results of the studies, even physical activity did not help reduce the likelihood of developing diseases; the same conclusions were made by another group of scientists, who, during experiments, confirmed that even daily 60-minute exercise will not help reduce the likelihood of developing possible health problems.
Taking into account all previous studies, the conclusions of the British look interesting. In the process of studying diseases, a group of scientists led by Richard Pulsford analyzed data on the health of about 4 thousand men and more than 1400 women. All participants in the experiment were relatively healthy, did not suffer from cardiovascular diseases. For 2 years (from 1997 to 1999, volunteers answered questions about their physical activity - how many hours a week they spend sitting (including work, watching TV, free time), how much they devote to physical exercise. Then the study took a break, after which scientists only resumed their project in 2014. During this period, 450 participants in the experiment died.
After the experts compared the statistical data, the age of the volunteers, their socioeconomic status, nutrition, bad habits, and general health, they came to the conclusion that a sedentary lifestyle does not increase the risk of premature death, but only on the condition that a person devotes at least a minimum amount of time to physical exercise.
The results of Pulsford's group's work were published in one of the scientific journals, the article noted that the researchers were able to refute current ideas about the possible negative consequences of a sedentary lifestyle for health. According to experts, health problems may be associated with a decrease in physical activity, and not with the amount of time a person spends in front of the TV. In any position, no matter standing or sitting, the health risk is higher, the lower the energy expenditure.
[