Let’s say you are a fitness fanatic! You don’t drink or smoke and you have a desk job, whereby you are glued to your chair and computer for at least 8 hours a day. But as soon as you finish work, you rush to the gym every single day for a varied exercise regimen of cardio, weight lifting and yoga. Your diet is wholesome with lots of fruits, vegetables and reasonable amounts of carbohydrates and meat. And to top it off, you are a regular marathon runner.

That should be more than enough, isn’t it?

No, not according to this new study published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute this month. The study says that sedentary behavior increases the risk of certain types of cancer like endometrial and colon cancer. The study specifically mentioned TV viewing and sitting as part of sedentary behaviors and was conducted by researchers from University of Regensburg. It analyzed 43 earlier studies involving over 4 million people and reached the above conclusion. However there was no link found between sitting and cancers of the breast, rectum, ovaries, stomach, prostate, kidneys and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Additionally the cancer risk increased with increase in sitting time. With a 2-hour increase in sitting time, colon cancer risk increased by 8% and risk of endometrial cancer rose by 10%.

A highlight of this study is what comes next. It notes that the harmful effects of sitting are irrespective of any physical activity, that is, the risk of cancer remains for even those who are physically active. The researchers write, “That sedentariness has a detrimental impact on cancer even among physically active persons implies that limiting the time spent sedentary may play an important role in preventing cancer…”

What this means is that according to this study, there is something harmful in the act of sitting itself. Running marathons, going to the gym every day, eating right is not enough if you continue to sit for prolonged periods of time.

And this is where the connection between Ergonomics and cancer comes into the picture! Ergonomics has always said that prolonged sitting is not good for health. You need to alternate sitting with other activities like standing, walking or stretching.  Dr. Joan Vernikos, a scientist at NASA, who has done extensive research on the effects of lack of gravity on astronauts, extends her knowledge to technology-driven sedentary lifestyle. According to her a series of frequent, low-intensity, gravity-defying movements are more effective at keeping health risks at bay rather than following only a traditional exercise and diet model.

So if you have a desk job, do not fret. There are things you can do to avoid the bad effects of sitting –

–        At work, get up from your chair every 20 minutes and move.

–        Stand and work

–        Choose to walk or climb the stairs at every possible opportunity

–        Have standing meetings

–        Accomplish office work by walking over instead of emailing or calling

–        Avoid watching TV continuously

But in addition, do not forget to eat right and exercise!

Please call us at 888-456-ERGO for more tips on how to avoid long hours of sitting.