Sitting For Hours Reverses Workout Effect, Increases Anxiety & Depression

A novel study has shed light on how just sitting in one place for hours can have severe effects on not just your physical but also mental health and wellbeing, even if you¡¯ve worked out during the day.

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For the study, researchers recruited a sample of 284 involving University of Huddersfield staff as well as students via a student e-mailing list. The data was collected during the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK from May to June 2020.

The participants were given a survey to answer online which looked at demographic and pre-existing conditions, habitual physical activity and mental health.

According to the study, individuals who reported low sitting time and low physical activity in the study were also the ones who reported considerably reduced levels of depression score compared to participants living a more sedentary lifestyle with minimal physical activity.

On the other hand, participants with low sitting time and moderate or high physical activity also had a significantly higher well-being score compared to those with high sitting time and low physical activity.

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Researchers also saw a negative and significant association between depression score and domestic and garden physical activity and leisure-time physical activity domains.

Alternatively, there was a significant and positive association between these same domains and wellbeing scores. A similar significant positive association was noted between the work-related physical activity domain and wellbeing score.

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Dr Liane Azevedo, one of the study's authors explains ¡°Although our sample of nearly 300 (people) was very active, they were sitting for longer periods with over 50 per cent sitting for more than eight hours a day We found that sitting time, together with some demographics and pre-existing health conditions, were the main variables to negatively influence mental health and wellbeing.¡±

She added, ¡°Other studies have shown that if you sit for longer than eight hours, in order to compensate (for) the negative effect of sedentary behaviour on physical health outcomes you need to exercise for longer. Reducing sitting time has a positive effect on mental health. We recommend that together with (an) increase in physical activity, public health should encourage the reduction of sitting time for mental health benefits.¡±