The danger of sitting down

WE all do it every day — and taking a load off by sitting down seems like a logical way to relax. But the truth is that it can affect you more than you think.

Those who spend a majority of their day sitting may experience more anxiety, new research suggests.

While the findings do not prove that sitting in front of a TV or computer causes anxiety, it is possible that too much time spent sitting down can affect a person’s mental wellbeing, according to lead researcher Megan Teychenne, of Deakin University’s Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, in Victoria.

Teychenne said there is definitely a relationship between prolonged sitting and anxiety.
“We know that anxiety is a serious illness,” she said.

“With the growing number of people spending long periods of their day on computers, in front of the TV and on their smartphones, it’s important that we determine whether sitting time does, in fact, lead to increased risk of anxiety.”

The research, which was published online in the journal BMC Public Health, looked at nine international studies.

Some of the studies examined adults, children and others looked at people with clinical anxiety, while others asked people how often they felt “worried, tense or anxious.”

Teychenne’s team found the studies identified a causal link between people’s daily sitting time and their risk of anxiety.

The studies that focused on “screen time” -- sitting in front of the TV or computer — were also inconclusive.

“What we can say is, we know that sitting time in general — which often involves the use of computers, television, smartphones and other electronic devices — was linked to higher levels of anxiety symptoms,” Teychenne said.


“So, it’s important that we keep this in mind during our busy day-to-day lives.”