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Your gym gains might be ruined by your desk job

Bad news for office workers. - by Laura Barry
  • 30 Apr 2019
Your gym gains might be ruined by your desk job

If going to the gym is something you drag yourself along to - purely to stay reasonably healthy - then you’ll be downright displeased to know that sitting at your desk at work all day might actually be undoing all your hard work at the gym.

A new study done by the University of Texas and published in the Journal of Applied Physiology has found that people who sit up to 13 hours a day and take less than 4000 steps per day develop metabolic problems, even if they exercise.

people walking on treadmills
Getty

The study suggests that long periods of inactivity creates a condition whereby the body becomes resistant to metabolic improvements that are usually achieved via exercise. That is, prolonged periods of sitting will make your metabolism slow, even if you exercise vigorously, regularly.

Which means sitting all day in an office can reduce the effects of your gym sweat sessions.

The best thing you can do is aim for 10,000 steps a day, use a standing desk, and get up to walk and move about regularly.

You might also like:

Study says sitting all day isn't as bad for you if you do this 

People who sit all day need to know about this condition 

A standing desk is the key to a longer life

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Laura Barry
Laura Barry
Laura Barry is a writer, bookworm and interior design enthusiast with a love for reporting on all things homes, travel and lifestyle. When not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura can be found making endless cups of tea or perusing the shelves of Sydney’s many bookstores.

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