The best anti-ageing technique could be standing up, scientists believe, after discovering that spending more time on two feet protects DNA.

科学家发现，最好的抗衰老技术可能就是站起来，别“坐以待毙”。

A study found that too much sitting down shortens telomeres, the protective caps which sit at the end of chromosomes.

科学家研究发现，虽然锻炼越多的人往往更健康，但是最重要的因素还是坐着的时间长短。长时间坐着会缩短端粒——染色体末端的保护帽。

Short telomeres have been linked to premature ageing, disease and early death. So spending less time on the sofa could help people live longer by preventing their DNA from ageing.

端粒缩短会导致早衰、疾病甚至早逝，因此减少坐在沙发上的时间可以帮助防止DNA衰老，延长寿命。

The research found that people who were frequently on their feet had longer telomeres, which were keeping the genetic code safe from wear and tear.

研究发现经常站立的人，端粒往往更长，可以减少遗传密码磨损。

Intriguingly taking part in more exercise did not seem to have an impact on telomere length.

一个人坐着的时间越少，他的端粒就越长，他就越可能长寿。有趣的是，多锻炼身体似乎对端粒的长度并没有影响。

Prof Mai-Lis Hellenius, from Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, said : "In many countries formal exercise may be increasing, but at the same time people spend more time sitting.

瑞典斯德哥尔摩的卡罗林斯卡医学院的海勒纽斯教授说：“在许多国家，正式的锻炼也许越来越多，但同时人们坐着的时间也越来越多。”

"There is growing concern that not only low physical activity but probably also sitting and sedentary behaviour is an important and new health hazard of our time.

“引起越来越多的担忧的不仅仅是体育锻炼时间少，久坐行为也是我们这个时代新的重大健康隐忧。”

"We hypothesise that a reduction in sitting hours is of greater importance than an increase in exercise time for elderly risk individuals."

“我们认为对于早衰人群来说，减少坐着的时间比增加运动时间来得更加重要。”

Telomeres stop chromosomes from fraying, clumping together and "scrambling" genetic code.

端粒能够使染色体避免磨损、凝结以及“扰乱”遗传密码。

Scientists liken their function to the plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces, and say that lifespan is linked to their length.

科学家将端粒的功能比作鞋带的塑料头，称寿命长短与端粒长短相关。

Researchers looked at 49 overweight sedentary adults in their late sixties and measured the length of the telomeres in their blood cells.

研究人员观察了49名六七十岁的肥胖久坐人士，并测量了血液细胞中的端粒长短。

Half of them had been part of an exercise programme that lasted six months, while the other half had not.

他们中有一半的人参与锻炼计划至少长达六个月，另一半的人则没有参加。

Physical activity levels were assessed using a diary and pedometer to measure the amount of footsteps taken each day.

研究人员通过记录日记以及使用步程计来测量每天走了多少步，以此来评估锻炼强度水平。

The amount of time spent sitting down was worked out through a questionnaire.

而坐着的时间则通过调查问卷的方式统计。