Uncovered: The Amount of Exercise Required to Counteract a Day of Sitting

While it’s clear that prolonged sitting harms our health, how much exercise is needed to offset its effects? Studies indicate that 30-40 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily can help counterbalance the risks.

How Much Exercise Is Needed to Offset the Effects of Prolonged Sitting?

While it’s clear that prolonged sitting harms our health, how much exercise is needed to offset its effects? Studies indicate that 30-40 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily can help counterbalance the risks.

The analysis revealed that the risk of death increased for individuals with sedentary lifestyles as their levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity decreased.

The researchers noted, “For active individuals engaging in 30-40 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, the link between prolonged sedentary time and risk of death is not significantly different from those with minimal sedentary time.”

In simpler terms, incorporating activities like cycling, brisk walking, or gardening can effectively reduce the risk of early death to levels comparable to those who spend less time sitting. This correlation is evident across data gathered from thousands of participants.

Objective Data Enhances Research Reliability

Although meta-analyses like this one involve connecting findings from various studies with different participants, timelines, and conditions, this research stands out because it relies on objective data from wearables rather than self-reported information.

The study was released alongside the World Health Organization’s 2020 Global Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour, developed by 40 scientists from six continents. The British Journal of Sports Medicine also featured both the study and the updated guidelines in a special edition.

“These guidelines highlight that all physical activity matters, and any amount is better than none,” said Emmanuel Stamatakis, a physical activity and population health researcher from the University of Sydney in Australia.

“Individuals can still safeguard their health and counter the negative impacts of physical inactivity.”

Fitness Tracker Data Supports WHO Guidelines

The findings from fitness tracker data align closely with the 2020 WHO guidelines, which advise 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week to mitigate the effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

Opting for the stairs over the elevator, playing with kids and pets, practicing yoga or dancing, doing household chores, walking, and cycling are all suggested ways to boost physical activity. If hitting the 30–40 minute mark feels challenging at first, researchers recommend starting with smaller steps.

Providing universal recommendations for all ages and body types is challenging, though the 40-minute activity guideline aligns with earlier studies. As more research emerges, we’ll gain a clearer understanding of how to maintain health despite long hours at a desk.

“While the new guidelines are based on the best available evidence, some knowledge gaps remain,” noted Stamatakis.

“For instance, we still don’t know the exact threshold for ‘too much sitting.’ However, this is an evolving area of research, and we expect more definitive answers in the coming years.”

Read the original article on: Science Alert

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