Regular exercise won't work if you sit too much: study

Anyone will tell you that regular exercise routines are important if you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle even though most of us don’t actually practise what we preach.

But according to a new report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, physical exercise might not be enough to keep you fit. In fact, it says that the benefits of exercise can be reduced if you also spend most of your day sitting.

A study by heart expert Dr. David Alter and his colleagues at the University of Toronto discovered that sitting for long hours – even among people who exercise regularly – increased chances of hospitalization, heart disease, cancer and could even cause early death.

The researchers examined 47 studies that asked people how much time they spent sitting and exercising as well as the rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and death from any cause. The results showed that heavy sitters had a 90% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those who sat less, an 18% higher chance of dying of heart disease or cancer, and 24% more likely to die from any cause. Moreover, these rates were the average among individuals who both exercised regularly and those who did not.