A new Canadian study may have changed the way many Americans must view their exercise patterns, if they have them. The study sampled 17,000 men and women and found that more time sitting increased the risk of premature death from heart disease and other causes. According to the Center for Disease Control, fewer than 5 percent of Americans work out with mild physical activity for at least the recommended 30 minutes, five times a week.
Clearly Americans need a more active lifestyle. According to the American Heart Association, people should have at least 20 minutes of intense aerobic activity and 20 minutes of strength training each week. One extremely unexpected development from the study concluded that men and women who were physically active still had an increased risk for premature death when sitting all day.
Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D. wrote in the Norwich Bulletin that people should try and incorporate extra physical activity on top of their daily workout routine. Westcott recommends that people get outside and walk, work in a garden or push a lawnmower, walk the dog or go on a bike ride. The extra physical activity on top of the regular workout should help offset the dangers of sitting throughout the day.
