Woman who regularly exercise still spend the same amount of time sitting down than those who don’t, according to research.
This means they are still risk of developing a range of health problems including diabetes, obesity, heart disease and some cancers.
Doctors have advised women to take part in a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity every week.
Researchers for Northwestern University in the US studied women aged between 40 and 75 who wore activity monitor devices during waking hours for one week.
The device recorded time they spent sitting, standing and stepping out and also when they took part in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
Although many of the women in the study met or exceeded 150 minutes of physical activity per week, only a fraction of the women’s days were spent being physically active – spending nine hours a day sitting.
Study leader Professor Lynette Craft said: “We found women who get a good workout in every day then spend a large portion of their day sitting in front of a computer with few breaks.
“If these people could replace some of the sitting with light activity – just getting up, moving around, maybe standing up when talking on the phone, walking down the hall instead of sending an e-mail – we think they could gain real health benefits.
“I think people assume if they get 30 to 40 minutes of physical activity a day they are doing what they need for their health.”
