Sitting for too long is often touted as an unhealthy habit, while exercising is thought to be the remedy for its negative health impacts. However, recently, researchers at the University of Toronto have found that, regardless of how much exercise a person gets, sitting too much is associated with increased health problems.

The study was led by Aviroop Biswas, a PhD candidate, and was conducted by a team of researchers from the University Health Network, the U of T Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, York University, the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.

The study, titled “Sedentary Time and Its Association With Risk for Disease Incidence, Mortality, and Hospitalization in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” was published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine in January 2015.

The study assessed 47 other research studies evaluating sedentary behaviour in adults. Data in these 47 articles pertaining to the relationship between sedentary time and health outcomes, was synthesized to generate hazard ratios for sedentary activity in adult populations. Health outcomes that were of interest to the authors included cardiovascular disease and diabetes, cancer, and all-cause mortality. Their calculations of hazard ratios led to the conclusion that time spent inactive is independently associated with poor health outcomes, whether or not individuals engage in physical activity.

The increase in risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer were calculated to be 18 and 17 per cent respectively. The overall increased likelihood of dying from health problems compared to people who sat less was 24 per cent.

The findings of this study may have profound implications for individuals of all walks of life. For the average office desk employee, this study may serve as a wake-up call.

Dr. David Alter, senior scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and senior author of the paper, warns against the sedentary lifestyle that is the norm today. “More than one half of an average person’s day is spent being sedentary — sitting, watching television, or working at a computer,” he says in a statement. “Our study finds that despite the health-enhancing benefits of physical activity, this alone may not be enough to reduce the risk for disease,” Alter continues.

Standing desks offer an alternative to sitting constantly and are increasingly gaining popularity in workplaces.