We no longer count the number of studies on the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle. It increases the risk heart failure, make more vulnerable to diabetes and would even be bad for liver health.
The latest study, conducted among 1,500 women aged 64 to 95 and published in the journal American journal of epidemiology show that women over 65 who sit for more than 10 hours a day have cells that are 8 years older than those who activate.
The researchers from the San Diego School of Medicine (United States) who conducted this study measured this aging at the length of telomeres, small capsules that are found at the end of DNA strands, and which naturally shorten with age. Telomeres are there to keep chromosomes from breaking down. Their length is an indicator of biological age, which does not always correspond to chronological age.
They discovered that these telomeres were longer in women who moved frequently during the day.
Work the flexibility of all muscles twice a week
“We should start moving as soon as we are young, and physical activity should continue to be a part of our daily life as we get older, even at 80 years old.” insist the authors of the study. They recommend that seniors who have retained their mobility to:
• Do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as biking or walking, each week.
• At least two days a week, work on flexibility of all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, chest, shoulders and arms).
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Sedentary lifestyle: what if we started by no longer sitting?
Working while standing would be better for your health
