New research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that people who spend a lot of time sitting may be up to 40% more likely to die from any cause, compared to people who don’t sit as much.

The study tracked nearly 222,500 Australian adults for about three years. Compared to people who spent less than four hours per day sitting, the odds of dying were:

• 15% higher for people who sat for at least eight hours
• 40% higher for people who sat for 11 or more hours a day

But there is hope

Short bouts of light exercise throughout the day can lower glucose and insulin levels by as much as 30%.  This may help people avoid problems decrease blood sugar levels to minimize the chance of developing diabetes and other degenerative diseases.  

According to Associate Professor David Dunstan, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, a 2 minute break every 20 minutes may really help your health. “Inside this study we used breaks every 20 minutes, just for two-minute activity bouts, and showed that it…substantially improved the body’s response to a glucose challenge.”

The study confirmed that activities such as walking at a light pace was just as beneficial as walking at a moderate pace, making this pretty easy to incorporate into your daily routine.