Increased Physical Activity Linked To a Reduced Risk of Chronic Disease

A study from the Kansas State University claims that one can reduce the risk of chronic disease by engaging in physical activities.

The study, published in the BMC Public Health, suggests that sitting less and involving in more physical activity helps in not only improving life but also helps in maintaining the quality of life by lowering the risk for chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, stroke and many others.

The study led by Sara Rosenkranz, a professor of human nutrition, analyzed a sample of 194,545 men and women of the age 45-106 who were a part of the 45 and Up study, a study of health and aging.

"Not only do people need to be more physically active by walking or doing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, but they should also be looking at ways to reduce their sitting time," Richard Rosenkranz said in a statement.

According to the researchers, putting an end to sedentary lifestyle helps in improving health; taking breaks and moving around during the long sitting period makes a lot of difference in the quality of life.

According to the researcher Rosenkranz, when a person is engaged in long period of sitting with a little muscular contraction, a molecule called lipoprotein lipase,LPL, shuts down. This protein helps in removing fat or triglycerides from the body and utilizes it for energy.

"We're basically telling our bodies to shut down the processes that help to stimulate metabolism throughout the day and that is not good," Sara Rosenkranz said. "Just by breaking up your sedentary time, we can actually upregulate that process in the body."

A study published earlier in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity had reported that the longer periods of sitting lead to greater risk of suffering from diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and overall mortality.

Through this study researchers want to motivate younger people to involve in more physical activity, exercise regularly and avoid a sedentary lifestyle as this only ruins your health.  

"There is only so far that messages about avoiding diseases can go, especially when talking about chronic disease because it is so far removed and in the future," Richard Rosenkranz said. "For young people, being motivated by avoiding diseases is probably not the most pressing matter in their lives. We wanted to look at excellent health and excellent quality of life as things to aspire to in health."