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Cancer Risk Study: Sitting in front of the computer for long hours in the office, working from home, watching TV, or spending continuous time on mobile has become a part of people's daily routine.

Cancer Risk: Disadvantages of continuous sitting

Prolonged Sitting Cancer Risk Study: In today's fast-paced life, sitting in one place for hours has become commonplace. Sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time in the office, working from home, watching TV, or spending time on mobile phones has become a part of people's daily routine. It has already been believed that sitting for long periods of time increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Now, a new study has also revealed that sitting for 30 minutes or more continuously without getting up can also increase the risk of death from cancer.

Health tracked for 12 years.

This study, conducted by researchers at the University of Glasgow and published in the medical journal PLOS Medicine, analyzed data from over 91,000 individuals enrolled in the UK Biobank. Notably, participants were not only asked questions, but also given wrist trackers to wear for a week, recording their actual physical activity and sedentary time. Their health was then monitored for approximately 12 years.

Which people are at higher risk of cancer?

Research found that people who repeatedly sat for 30 minutes or more throughout the day had a higher risk of cancer death. According to the researchers, this risk increased by approximately 9 to 10 percent with each additional hour of prolonged sitting. Interestingly, the number of hours spent sitting without getting up was more impactful than the total number of hours spent sitting throughout the day.

How can we protect ourselves?

However, this research also revealed some good news. Intermittent light activity instead of prolonged sitting can reduce the risk. According to the study, replacing one hour of continuous sitting with light physical activity, such as a short walk, doing small household chores, or just moving around, can reduce the risk of cancer death by approximately 12 percent. Meanwhile, moderate activity, such as a brisk walk for approximately 30 minutes, can reduce this risk by approximately 8 percent. Furthermore, even just 5 minutes of vigorous exercise was associated with a 22 percent reduction in the risk of cancer death.

Habits also need to be changed

The study was led by Dr. Frederick Ho, a senior lecturer in public health at the University of Glasgow. He says that people need to focus not only on regular exercise but also on changing their habit of sitting for long periods of time. He says that even if someone can't go to the gym every half hour, getting up and walking or doing light activity for a few minutes every half hour can be beneficial. Experts believe that sitting in one place for long periods of time reduces muscle activity. This can disrupt blood sugar balance, increase insulin resistance, and accelerate inflammation in the body. However, the researchers also clarified that this study only shows a correlation and does not prove that prolonged sitting directly causes cancer deaths.