Too much sitting may boost your cancer risk

A new study reveals that too much sitting can raise your risk of cancer. Even if you get the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day, you still have a higher risk of developing cancer if you're deskbound most of the day, researchers say.

A new study reveals that too much sitting can raise your risk of cancer. Even if you get the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day, you still have a higher risk of developing cancer if you're deskbound most of the day, researchers say.

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Reported in MyHealthNewsDaily last week, the new study was presented at American Institute for Cancer Research conference. Researcher Christine Friedenreich, an epidemiologist at Alberta Health Services-Cancer Care in Canada, revealed that sedentary lifestyles could be linked to as many as 49,000 cases of breast cancer and 43,000 cases of colon cancer a year in the US. Sitting also contributes to lung, prostate, endometrial, and ovarian cancers, with researchers noting that they could be “prevented” if people were more physically active.

The new study adds to growing scientific research suggesting that sitting can raise your risks for a host of problems, including obesity and diabetes. This is especially true if you spend time outside of work lounging in front of the television or commuting. In one study, researchers found that people who spend more than two hours per day of leisure time watching television or sitting in front of a screen face double the risk of heart disease.

The good news is that you can lessen your risks for cancer by taking frequent breaks from sitting with just a few minutes of light exercise, noted the researchers. Take micro-breaks every hour, suggested the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Safeguard yourself
Those who have a desk job must make sure that they get up, move around, or at least move their shoulders and take deep breaths to relieve muscle tension every 20 or 30 minutes.
Other ideas to get moving include standing up every time you take a phone call, walking to see a colleague rather than emailing him/her, and making it a habit to take the stairs instead of the lift where possible.
Also try keeping light hand weights at your desk that you can use while reading email or while talking on the phone.
Make sure to bring water or tea and coffee rather than ordering at your table. Also do not have you meals at your work station, as you also tend to eat more that ways.