Desk jobs as toxic as smoking expert says

Topics: 

research,

study,

university of new england

WE have some bad news for you… Are you sitting down? Well, if you are, you're dying fast!

Even if you're fit and active, sitting at a desk for hours on end, in front of the key-board or watching TV is shaving years off your life.

UNE Associate Professor of Psychology John Malouff says our sitting habit could be as toxic as smoking with a desk-job potentially shortening life expectancy by more than five years.

"Whether you are sitting at the computer, in front of the television, or commuting to work, sitting still for long hours has been shown to be detrimental to a long life," Mr Malouff said.

"Even if you exercise every day and eat a healthy balanced diet, the fact is that the more you sit, the shorter your lifespan is likely to be."

The UNE research team led by Professor Malouff is now investigating how easy - or difficult - it can be for people already interested in improving their standing health, to do so.

The  university is looking for volunteers to take part in a study examining what works and and what doesnt to improve people's sitting to standing ratio.

Advice and supporting materials will be provided and all we that is required of participants is to fill out some brief questionnaires two weeks apart.

As part of the study, University of New England researchers are offering free advice to help people stand comfortably longer, all in the interests of understanding what it takes for us to kick our sitting habit.

Anyone can participate in the study by registering at  http://tinyurl.com/standup4health

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