Bill and Will are 32-year old identical twins. Bill works as a computer programmer and Will is a third-grade teacher. They grew up in a household where healthy eating and being physically active were everyday habits. They are passing on these healthy values to their young children.  

Currently Bill and Will both exceed the public health physical activity recommendations of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise weekly. Bill prefers to bicycle four days a week for 45 minutes while Will jogs with his golden retriever for 30 minutes six days a week. 

Given their genetic oneness and a lifetime of healthy eating and active living, Bill and Will should have the same life expectancy, right?

Maybe.  According to a new study, it’s possible that Will could live longer.

Huh?

Look again at their occupations. Bill sits at a desk all day writing computer code. Will on the other hand spends most of his day wrangling 9 year-olds. New research¹ suggests that sitting time is linked with increased risk of dying prematurely of cardiovascular disease and all-causes combined. And it’s a dose-response association.  That is, the more you sit the higher your risk. So even though Bill and Will do the same amount of physical activity – a great health protector – Bill may not live as long as Will because he spends more time sitting each day. 

Bill is not alone. As shown in an earlier blog, most adults and children spend most of their waking hours in sedentary activities. Perhaps he could lower his risk if he did his programming from a walking workstation.

If you regularly exercise, give yourself a pat on the back.  Now push yourself away from the computer, stand up, and take a brief walk around your cubicle, your apartment, your home, or your neighborhood.   Your life could depend on it.

¹ Katzmarzyk PT, Church TS, Craig CL, and Bouchard C.  Sitting time and mortality, from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.  Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.  2009;41(5):998-105.