A new research says that if you want to live longer, then you should avoid sitting for 10 hours straight, stand up every 20 minutes to take a walk or just stretch. According to the University of California San Diego report, sitting too much may actually lead to premature aging. Researchers found that elderly women who sit for more than 10 hours a day and who get very little physical activity are biologically eight years older in comparison to women who are not as sedentary.
A study of 1500 pensioners, aged between 64 and 95, found that those who sat for ten hours or every day had DNA similar with people who are eight years older. The participants wore devices on their hips to record their movements for a week. The finding showed that elderly women who get less than 40 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily and who stay inactive for greater than 10 hours daily manifest shorter telomeres and do not live longer, the Emax Health says.
Telomeres are very small caps found on the ends of DNA strands that indicate longevity. They were observed to progressively shorten with aging. Lifestyle factors, such as overeating and smoking, may speed up the shortening and damage of telomeres as we age. There has also been a link between shortened telomeres and diabetes, heart disease and major cancers.
Dr. Shadyab, lead author of the study adds that women who sat for longer times did not have shorter telomeres if they move for at least 30 minutes daily. "People don't realize that if you sit down all day it can undermine all the exercise you do," said Professor James Goodwin, head of research at Age UK, says. According to the Net Doctor , he recommends getting out of the seat every 20 minutes and walk for about 2 to 3 minutes to slow down aging and help people live longer.
