Effects of sedentary work on physical fitness and serum cholesterol profile in middle-aged male workers

Abstract

Both sedentary work and lack of habitual exercise are very common in Japanese workers. Sedentary work, independently from lack of habitual exercise, may increase the risk of diseases related to physical inactivity by affecting physical fitness and serum cholesterol profile.

Markers of insulin resistance in day and shift workers aged 30-59 years

“…'Exercise' used as a confounding factor does not include physical activity at work. Physical activity at work, as well as habitual exercise, influences the serum lipids profile but was less effective than habitual exercise in our previous study (Nagaya et al 2001). The limitation of subjects by job may somewhat decrease the differences in physical activity at work between day and shift workers.…”

Physical activity and self‐rated health: Interactive effects of activity in work and leisure domains

“…However, two studies of health outcomes have reported tests of interactions between physical activity in the two domains. A Japanese study (Nagaya, Kondo, & Shibata, 2001) noted only additive effects of leisure and work‐related physical activity, but Fransson et al (2004) found an interaction between leisure activity and sedentary work in predicting cardiovascular risk. These studies are rare in their evaluation of the interactive effects of work and leisure physical activity in relation to health; in spite of the extensive literature on life‐style variables as predictors of SRH, no studies of SRH appear to have addressed this issue.…”

The Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction

“…13 Several crosssectional studies have also found that leisure-time physical activity is associated with decreased prevalence of established risk factors for CVD, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, plasma fibrinogen, inflammatory markers and obesity. 19,20,21,22,23 In recent years, it has been pointed out that it does not seem necessary to be engaged in vigorous exercise to obtain health benefits. 15 Compared with being sedentary, even rather moderate intense physical activity will probably lower the risk of disease.…”