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What Women Over 50 Should Know About Sitting and Heart Health

28 February 2020

This is news that you probably shouldn’t take sitting down.

According to a new study, it is revealed that older women (50 and above) who spend a bulk of their time sitting down during the day are more susceptible to developing symptoms of cardiovascular disease.

The research supports facts that show how our screen-filled, inactive, and modern lifestyle adversely affects our heart health. It is a serious cause for concern!

How Sitting is Linked to Increased Risks of Heart Disease

The medical research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, involved a close study of the sitting behavior of 518 women (102 Hispanic, 416 non-Hispanic women).

It was discovered that postmenopausal women (both overweight and obese), who lived a sedentary lifestyle or sitting for long hours without any activity showed extremely poor metabolic risk factors for heart disease.

This information was primarily collected from three individual studies. However, researchers were able to measure their sedentary behavior using wearable activity devices.

They measured two vital factors:

a) The total amount of time the women spent sitting during the day

b) The average length of their sessions sitting down

Researchers aligned their studies on postmenopausal women because according to a 2003-04 research, it was seen that older Americans live an increasingly inactive lifestyle.  

Moreover, it was also indicated that the symptoms of cardiovascular distress became more prominent after menopause. Keep in mind that with age, everybody is at risk of developing symptoms for heart disease.

 But the reason why postmenopausal women are more susceptible may be because of a decline in estrogen levels.

 In the 2020 study, women who spent a big chunk of their time sitting during the day - and for longer sessions, had very bad biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease.

This includes a variety of things such an increase in waist size, BMI (body mass index), insulin resistance, triglycerides, and fasting glucose. Moreover, the effect was prominent in obese women.

What Should You Do To Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

That's easy, start moving. And the research proves it!

Researchers were also successful in determining how sitting affected Hispanic and non-Hispanic women differently.

And what they found was the fact that Hispanic women did not sit for longer periods of time during the day compared to non-Hispanic women.

Both categories saw a connection between increased sedentary behavior and declining biomarkers for cardiovascular disease.

However, for Hispanic women (who had shorter sitting sessions), their blood glucose was stronger compared to non-Hispanic women.

On the flip side, it was discovered that the total sitting time and the correlation to BMI was prominent for non-Hispanic women.

Keep in mind that due to the design of the research experiment, scientists cannot verify a solid link between increased sitting and declining biomarkers for heart disease, only the fact that the both are strongly linked.

However, as per a 2015 meta-analysis on sedentary behavior and the necessity of taking a break from living an inactive lifestyle, it was found that frequent exercise such as walking, moving around the house, etc. can improve your heart health.

 

Invest in a Sit-Stand Workstation

There is no question a sit-stand workstation can drastically help enhance your concentration levels, mood, and creativity.

It enables you to take a break from sitting down for longer periods of time, irrespective of whether you're working or just watching Netflix.

 More importantly, it allows you to perform some exercise. You see, when you stand, you engage some of the biggest muscle groups in your body. Your back and legs. The Flexispot Sit-Stand Workstation EM6W comes with a minimalistic design and many features.

If you love watching your favorite shows and whatnot, the sit-stand desk comes with a built-in wireless charger, so you don't have to worry about running out of battery.

It has plenty of space for personalization. You can easily attach your notes, photos, and a bunch of other accessories thanks to its magnetic board.

With new height adjustment and a comfortable viewing panel, doing things standing up has never been more fun or healthier!