Study Finds Link between Sitting and Disability

Sitting too much is linked with disability in people over age 60, a new study suggests.

The relationship between time spent sitting and disability risk was seen even in people who exercised often.

"This is the first time we've shown sedentary behavior was related to increased disability regardless of the amount of moderate exercise," said Dorothy Dunlop, PhD, professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "Being sedentary is not just a synonym for inadequate physical activity."

Disability is when people can't perform daily physical tasks such as eating, bathing and dressing. Nearly 56 million Americans are currently classified disabled.

The study was based on data from 2,286 adults aged 60 and older. All the participants were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

All the participants wore accelerometers (a device that senses motion) from 2002 to 2005, which measured their physical activity levels.

The study found that every extra hour of sitting raised disability risk by 50 percent, USA Today reported.

Researchers said that the study results came as a surprise. "It means older adults need to reduce the amount of time they spend sitting, whether in front of the TV or at the computer, regardless of their participation in moderate or vigorous activity," Dunlop said in a news release.

Note that the study shows a link between sedentary lifestyle and not a causal relationship.

The study is published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health.

Previous research has shown that cutting down the time spent sitting in front of the television can increase or add a year to the lifespan.

Sitting too much is linked with many health problems, including a reduction in life expectancy. A related article in the New York Times showed how sitting for long hours at a stretch could damage the body.