Ladies, get off your butts.
A shocking new study found that even women who hit the gym every day can die young — if they spend too much time on their backsides.
The study, published by the American Cancer Society, says women who sit on their bottoms for more than six hours a day increase their chance of dying by 37 percent over the course of the survey, even if they chain themselves to their treadmills.
For those couch potatoes who did not exercise, their risk of dying was 94 percent higher than those surveyed who spend the least time wearing holes in the sofa.
Sitting, the study says, suppresses hormones that affect triglycerides and cholesterol, which could trigger heart disease.
“Even if you are active, sitting for long periods of time will impact your health, and you’ll have a shorter life span,” said Alpa Patel, the study’s lead author. “Whether a person is sitting at a desk, or sitting on a couch, sitting for long periods of time is harmful.”
That was discouraging news for ladies whose jobs could be detrimental to their health.
“It’s disheartening. I sit for 10 hours a day at work,” said Clare Abdalla, 24, who works at a financial firm in DC and was visiting a friend in the city. “And after I get home, after a stressful day, I just want to sit down and relax on the couch.”
Marva Laidford, 53, a jeweler who lives in Brooklyn, said she tries to stay active by taking public transportation to work.
“But it’s sad because I don’t have a walk-around job — I basically sit from 8:30 to 5:30 p.m.,” she said.
Not all women think they’re doomed because they are parked at their desks all day.
Vita Generalova, 27, a receptionist at a Midtown consulting firm, said she sits nine hours a day but makes a point to get up and stretch every hour.
“Even though I have a desk job, I try to stay active. I take the stairs a lot and try to walk around as much as possible,” said Generalova, adding that she walks at least two to three hours a day, seven days a week.
But she did say the findings were troubling.
“If it’s true, then I have to quit my job,” she said.
The study tracked the health of nearly 70,000 women without any major health problems for 14 years. It also examined the fates of 53,000 men, though the risk for them was lower.
For men who sat more than six hours a day, the mortality rate increased by 17 percent.
That number rose to 48 percent for those who do not exercise and spend the most time lounging.
Some thought the survey carried no weight.
“I think it’s bogus,” said Luisa Ceballos, 26, an insurance agent from Connecticut. “If you take care of yourself and you exercise, then you are leading a healthy lifestyle.”
Take a stand, ladies!
The study followed 123,216 people for 14 years
62: The average age of participants
37% of women who sit more than six hours a day had a higher rate of dying
17% of men were more likely to die
94% of women who sit the longest were more likely to die
48% of men who sat longest were more prone to death
Source: American Cancer Society