University experts examine links between prolonged sitting, the pandemic and cardiovascular dysfunction
19th July 2021
After more than a year of lockdown-enforced inactivity for much of the UK, health and physical activity researchers at the University of Gloucestershire have been investigating how a combination of sitting and eating a high-fat meal impacts cardiovascular risk.
Dr Simon Fryer and Keeron Stone, exercise and sports experts at the University of Gloucestershire, are leading several new projects seeking to investigate the short and long-term impacts of the pandemic on physical activity, cardiovascular health, and people’s wellbeing.
A growing body of evidence indicates that sitting down too much and for too long poses a significant threat to your health, with a number of studies linking inactivity with being overweight, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer.
According to the research team at the University, many UK adults are spending around nine hours a day sitting down to work, watch TV, read and travel by car, bus or train. However, the University team’s recent data indicates that this has risen to a startling 14 hours a day during the COVID-19 pandemic-enforced lockdown. You can find out more about this story on the university website.