It is widely known that sitting for prolonged periods of time can have adverse health effects. But a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that shortening the amount of time spent sitting could protect aging DNA and even prolong lifespan.

Previous studies reported by Medical News Today have suggested that individuals who spend less time sitting have a lower risk for chronic diseases – such as diabetes, stroke, breast and colon cancer – and a lower risk for heart failure.

But researchers from this latest study looked at how physical activity lengthens telomeres. Telomeres sit on the “DNA storage units” of each cell, called chromosomes, and stop them from unraveling or clumping together and “scrambling” the genetic codes they contain.

“There is growing concern that not only low physical activity level in populations, but probably also sitting and sedentary behavior, is an important and new health hazard of our time,” write the researchers, who investigated whether physical activity affects telomere length.

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Source: Medical News Today