HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE GET UP from our chairs? And for how long? Growing evidence suggests that prolonged sitting is associated with health perils. We need to be less sedentary to lower our risk of chronic disease. How can you improve your health? Sit less!
Accountants, doctors, computer programmers, therapists, and more. What do we have in common? Many of us spend a good chunk of our day sitting. How much physical activity do we need to counteract the negative health effects of a workday filled with lots of sitting?
Columbia University (USA) researchers recently addressed the frequency and volume of physical activity to fight back. The answer: Just five minutes of walking every 30 minutes (during prolonged periods of sitting) can offset some of the harmful effects of being mostly sedentary.
“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols
Sit less! Five minutes to walk to health
Much has been written about the negative health effects of sedentary behavior. Sit too long, and you put yourself at an increased risk of early death and several chronic conditions, including the following:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Dyslipidemia
- Cancer
- Knee pain
- Osteoporosis
- Depression
How much physical activity do we need to do to counterbalance some negative health effects of prolonged sitting?
Dr. Keith Diaz and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons colleagues recently provided some answers.
Unlike several studies testing only one or two activity options, the Columbia researchers tested five exercise “snacks.” They recently published their findings online in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine journal.
The small study included 11 adults who sat in an ergonomic chair for eight hours, rising only for their prescribed exercise snack of treadmill walking or a bathroom break. The study participants worked on laptops, read, or used their phones during the sessions and received standardized meals.
In this so-called randomized cross-over study, middle- and older-aged adults completed the following 8-hour walking activities on five separate days:
- One uninterrupted sedentary (control) condition
- Every 30 minutes for one minute
- Every 30 minutes for five minutes
- Every 60 minutes for one minute
- Every 60 minutes for five minutes
Sedentary breaks entailed light-intensity walking. Researchers measured glucose and blood pressure every 15 and 60 minutes, respectively.
The scientists watched to ensure that each subject did not under or over-exercise. They also measured each participant’s blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Here are the study results:
The optimal amount of movement was five minutes of walking every 30 minutes. This volume of activity lowered blood sugar and blood pressure (by 4 to 5 points). This walking routine also dramatically affected responses to large meals, dropping blood sugar spikes by more than half (58 percent) compared with sitting all day.
The lead researcher notes that the blood pressure drop is comparable to what one would expect from exercising daily for six months.
The drop in blood sugar only occurred with the five-minute walking every 30-minute routine. However, all sedentary breaks dropped systolic blood pressure from baseline. Researchers saw the largest reductions in systolic blood pressure with every 60 minutes for one minute and every 30 minutes for five-minute approaches.
Researchers also monitored mood levels, fatigue, and cognitive performance. All walking approaches (except walking one minute hourly) led to drops in fatigue and mood improvements. None of the walking regimens influenced cognition.
Again, study author Dr. Diaz: “The effects on mood and fatigue are important. People tend to repeat behaviors that make them feel good and that are enjoyable.”
The Columbia researchers are now testing 25 different volumes of walking on health outcomes and testing a wider variety of people: Volunteers in the current study were in their 40s to 60s, and most didn’t have diabetes or high blood pressure.
My take — Sit less by using exercise snacks
For optimal health, we need to move (in addition to a daily exercise routine, if possible). While that may sound like a big commitment, the current research findings add to a growing literature indicating that even small amounts of walking spread throughout the day can significantly drop your heart disease (and other chronic diseases) risk.
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
Thanks for joining me in this look at how you can improve your health – Sit less!
