A new study suggests that one of the simplest ways to reduce cancer mortality risk may be to avoid sitting for long, uninterrupted periods .In fact, some have called sitting “the new smoking”. Wondering if you’re at risk? Check out this article.
LEARN MORE: Simple sitting change linked to lower risk of cancer death, study finds
Here are the key findings:
- Researchers followed more than 91,000 adults in the UK Biobank for about 12 years, using wearable activity monitors to objectively measure movement.
- Every additional hour per day spent sitting continuously (in stretches of 30 minutes or longer) was associated with about a 9–10% higher risk of dying from cancer.
- In contrast, each additional hour of sitting that was broken up by movement was associated with an 18% lower risk of cancer death.
- Replacing sedentary time with even light activity—such as walking, household chores, or standing while talking on the phone—was linked to lower cancer mortality. Replacing one hour of prolonged sitting with light activity was associated with about a 12% lower risk, while replacing just 30 minutes with moderate activity (like brisk walking) was associated with an 8% lower risk.
