Sitting for long hours is linked to a higher risk of stroke.

We're keeping an eye on the research

A study published in the June 1, 2022 issue of JAMA Network Open found that the risk of stroke went up when people sat for long periods of time but went down when they moved around more, even if they just did simple things like housework.

More specifically, 7,607 adults participated in the study by wearing an accelerometer (a device that records how fast you move) on their hips for seven days. Typically, these people were 63 years old. Two hundred forty-six people had strokes during the average 7.4-year follow-up period.

It was found that people who sat for 13 or more hours a day during the first week of motion tracking had a 44% higher risk of having a stroke than those who sat for less than 11 hours a day. There was also a higher risk when people sat for more than 17 minutes at a time, compared to when they sat for less than eight minutes at a time. 

Unsurprisingly, stroke risk was 43% lower in people who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 25 minutes each day. But compared to spending less than three hours a day doing light physical activity (like cleaning or doing the dishes), spending four to five hours a day doing light physical activity (like cleaning or doing the dishes) cut the risk of stroke by 26%. 

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko