New Study Shows That Sitting All Day Without Breaks Raises Risk of Mortality—Even with Exercise

Time to take a break! A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association offers additional proof that sitting for long hours without standing or moving is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and overall mortality, even in individuals who regularly engage in moderate or vigorous exercise.

Being sedentary, which means spending long stretches of time seated or lying down without breaks and lacking enough physical activity, has been associated with serious health issues such as age-related cognitive decline, higher cardiovascular disease risk, metabolic disorders, and more.

The study suggests that the harmful effects of sitting without breaks may outweigh the benefits of exercise; the total time spent sitting and the duration of each sedentary period are key factors that threaten health, even if a person maintains a healthy lifestyle outside of those sitting periods.

Study Results

The research team examined data from 6,489 women aged 60 to 90 years, gathered through the Women's Health Initiative Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health (OPACH) Study. They used a new algorithm to assess both total sedentary time and the length of each sitting period.

The findings revealed that women who sat for 11.7 hours or more daily had a 30% increased risk of mortality. "Sedentary behavior is defined as any waking activity involving sitting or reclining with minimal energy expenditure," explained study co-author Steve Nguyen, PhD, MPH, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, in a university press release.

The study concludes that "[h]igher total sitting time and longer average sitting bout duration are linked to increased all-cause and CVD mortality risk among older women. These findings support interventions that aim to reduce total sitting time and break up prolonged sitting periods."

The Impact of Sitting for Extended Periods on Your Body and Health

"When you sit, your blood circulation slows, reducing glucose absorption," explained lead author Andrea LaCroix, PhD, MPH, distinguished professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, in the press release. "Your muscles contract less, which decreases the oxygen consumption required for muscle movement, and your heart rate remains low."

Earlier studies suggested that getting a specific amount of exercise could counteract the harmful effects of daily prolonged sitting. However, LaCroix and Nguyen’s paper shows that even women who exercised moderately or vigorously still faced the same increased health risks if they sat too long during the day.

How Often Should You Stand Up?

"The risk begins to rise when you sit for about 11 hours a day, especially with longer sitting periods at once," LaCroix noted. "For instance, sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time increases the risk more than sitting for just 10 minutes at a time."

She also points out that expecting people to stand and stretch every 10 minutes is often unrealistic—especially for those like long-haul truck drivers or individuals immersed in intense, focused work. However, any break you can take is beneficial. Whether it's every 30 minutes or 20 minutes, it's still much better than nothing. If you're looking for a quick stretch, marching in place, holding a plank, or walking around the office are great options (even just three minutes of exercise can offer impressive health benefits!). Ultimately, all you need is to stand and shift your weight. As LaCroix explains, “[You] don't have to go anywhere, [you] can just stand for a little while.”