Sitting for extended periods can harm your health, even if you get regular exercise, experts warn.
It may be time to rethink how physical activity is defined in order to emphasize the dangers of sitting, Elin Ekblom-Bak, of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, wrote in an editorial published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the Associated Press reported.
Guidelines currently recommend the minimum amount of physical activity, but don't suggest people limit the time they spend sitting.
"After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals," said Ekblom-Bak, the AP reported. Genes that regulate the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down, she explained.