Can sitting for long periods affect your cancer risk?

If you work at a desk, settle in for a night of TV or spend hours behind the wheel, you may go long stretches without getting up. Could all that time in your seat affect your cancer risk?

It’s possible, according to a recent study that linked longer periods of sedentary behavior with a higher risk of developing cancer.

“We can’t say from this study that sitting causes cancer, but the findings are worth our attention,” says Dr. Jacob Adashek, an oncologist with the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic at Aurora Health Care. “Regular exercise is great, but it may not fully offset long, uninterrupted stretches of sitting. So it’s still worth breaking those up with light activity.”

What did the study find?

Researchers analyzed data from more than 91,000 adults in the United Kingdom who wore activity monitors for seven days and then followed the participants for about 12 years. They looked at how much time people spent sitting and, importantly, whether they sat for long, uninterrupted stretches.

The researchers found:

• Each additional hour a day spent in prolonged sedentary periods was associated with a 9% higher risk of dying from cancer.
• Replacing an hour of prolonged sitting each day with light physical activity was associated with a 12% lower risk of dying from cancer.

However, the study has important limitations. It shows an association, rather than cause and effect, between prolonged sitting and cancer risk. Researchers also studied a single group of volunteers in the U.K., so the findings may not apply to everyone.

Small movements can add up

You don’t have to work up a sweat every time you get out of your chair. Another study found that even light activities – such as walking, running errands and doing household chores – were associated with a lower cancer risk.

“Look for simple ways to add movement to things you already do throughout the day,” Dr. Adashek says.

A few easy habits to try:

• Walking while you talk on the phone
• Getting up between episodes of your favorite show
• Taking a short walk after a meal
• Doing a few household chores after sitting for a while
• Parking farther from the door when you run errands

“Those small choices may not feel like exercise,” Dr. Adashek says, “but they get you out of your seat and moving.”

Keep sitting in perspective

Cancer risk is influenced by many factors, and sitting is only one piece of a much bigger picture.

“The takeaway from this research is simple,” Dr. Adashek says. “When you have an opportunity to move, take it.”

Take a free quiz to find out your breast, colon or lung cancer risk.