We’re sitting on our backsides for EIGHT hours a day and it’s killing us, shocking new research shows.
Our couch potato lives puts us at far greater risk of heart disease and strokes, the Irish Heart Foundation says.
Young adults are living the laziest lifestyles with students sitting for nearly nine hours a day and those aged between 15 and 24 spending more than a third of their day on a chair or sofa.
Now a new campaign, ‘Escape Your Chair’, is underway to increase our activity levels.
And worryingly, trips to the gym or jogging may not alleviate the stark health risks associated with sitting too long.
Latest research says the positive health benefits of exercise may not entirely counteract the negative effects of a mostly sedentary lifestyle.
Tara Curran of the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) said: “80% of premature heart disease and stroke is preventable and physical inactivity is a major risk factor.
“We recommend 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity at least five days a week but this does not cancel out the damage caused to our health by sitting down for long periods of time,” Ms Curran said.
Latest figures show 30,000 people are living in Ireland with disabilities caused by stroke and it’s our third biggest killer.
And 10,000 people a year die from cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease.
It’s also the biggest cause of early deaths among the under 65s.
More than 90% of us know that smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stress, drinking too much and family history increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
But just over a third of us are aware of the dangers associated with sitting too long each day.
The foundation today launched a month long “Escape Your Chair” campaign.
A new website, www.EscapeYourChair.ie , includes online sitting time calculator and a ‘deskercise’ video.
There’s also tips on how to change a sedentary lifestyle including a couch to 5k guide.
And on September 28, more than 100 park runs around the country will host Heart Hero 5ks.
Walkers joggers and runners will sign up for the event with a €20 donation to help the work of the IHF.
A study found that we spend up to two hours sitting on the daily commute and as much as six hours seated at work, school or college.
And in our leisure time some of us are spending five hours a day on the couch.
Overall Irish people spend an average 7.3 hours a day sitting down.
