Sitting is the new smoking

Poster: Sitting is the new smoking. If you sit for more than six hours a day, your risk of heart failure increases by 34 per cent. A seated man slumped in a chair.

Marathon sitting sessions increase your risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and even cancer!

Sitting sessions change your body’s metabolism. Certain enzymes move the harmful fat from your arteries to your muscles so that they can get burned off. But prolonged sitting can slow down this process. Your lower body muscles shut down and your ‘good cholesterol’ level drops.

While at work, take a 5 min walk after every 1-hour of sitting.

Sitting kills, Moving is the pill!

This page is written for general understanding and is not medical advice. It cannot take account of your own history, and a consultation is needed before any diagnosis or treatment. Written by Dr. Mahadevan R, MBBS, MS, MCh (CVTS), Chief Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Magnum Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.