Prolonged sitting has been aptly dubbed “the new smoking” with a compelling and growing pile of data linking it to premature disease and death. Thanks to a new analysis, scientists have identified what appears to be an effective antidote—a reasonable dose of daily exercise. For this study researchers monitored the activity levels of over 44,000 adults from four countries over 4 to 14.5 years using activity trackers. The bad news? There was a clear connection between extensive daily sitting (10 or more hours a day) and premature death.

The good news? In study subjects who sat 10 or more hours a day and engaged in 30-40 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily activity, death risk was no higher than subjects who engaged in very low amounts of daily sitting time. Bottom line: Strive to limit daily sitting as best you can; otherwise be sure to get your daily recommended quota of 30-40 minutes of moderate or more physical activity each day. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020; 54 (24) https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/24/1499