Walk for an hour a day to cut health risk of sitting

If you spend all day sitting, then you might want to schedule some time for a brisk walk – just make sure you can spare at least an hour. Scientists analyzing data from more than 1 million people found that it takes about 60 to 75 minutes of “moderate intensity” exercise to undo the damage of sitting for at least eight hours a day. Not exercising and sitting all day is as dangerous as being obese or smoking.  And the added risk of parking yourself in front of a television for 5 hours or more a day after sitting at the office is so high even the hour of exercise is not enough to reverse the damage.

We cannot stress enough the importance of exercising, whether it’s getting out for a walk at lunchtime, going for a run in morning or cycling to work. Studies have found that prolonged sitting can raise the chances of heart disease, various cancers and an earlier death. Physical inactivity costs the global economy $67.5 billion a year in healthcare and productivity losses. In the new research, experts combed through 13 papers with data on factors including how long people spend sitting, their physical activity levels and their television-watching habits. The majority of studies included people older than age 45. All except one were done in the US, Western Europe and Australia.

People with the highest levels of moderate physical activity – 60 to 75 minutes daily – erased the higher risk of death linked to being seated for more than eight hours a day. But even that exercise regime was not enough to counter the hazards of also watching more than five hours of television a day. The conclusions suggest that current guidelines from WHO – which recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day – may not be enough to offset the dangers of sitting. Too much sitting increases the risk of problems including diabetes and heart disease because it can make insulin levels spike and might slow the body’s metabolism.

Watching a lot of TV was probably even worse than sitting at the office all day because it likely includes other unhealthy habits. A lot of people don’t just watch TV, they eat fatty snacks at the same time. In some cultures, it’s easier than others to squeeze in an hour of exercise every day, nothing that in Denmark and much of Scandinavia, about half of all people either cycle or walk to work. Getting the recommended amount of physical activity shouldn’t be overly arduous and doesn’t necessarily mean going to gym for an intense workout.

Kids who bite nails have fewer allergies

                Children who bite their nails or suck their thumbs are less likely to develop allergic sensitivities, a study suggests. And, if they have both ‘bad habits’, they are even less likely to be allergic to such things as house dust mites, grass, cats, dogs, horses or airborne fungi, researchers said. “Our findings are consistent with the hygiene theory that early exposure to dirt or germs reduces the risk of developing allergies,” said Malcolm Sears, formerly from Dunedin School of Medicine, in New Zealand and currently with McMaster University of Canada.