According to a recent study, engaging in less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day can counteract the adverse health effects associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Despite the seemingly innocuous nature of prolonged sitting, it has been established in previous research that sedentary behavior is closely correlated with various negative health outcomes, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and premature mortality.
In a noteworthy development, newly published research this week has shed light on a positive countermeasure to the risks posed by extended periods of sitting. The findings indicate that even brief periods of exercise, ranging from 20 to 25 minutes each day, can significantly mitigate the risk of mortality for individuals who spend prolonged hours in a sedentary state. This discovery underscores the potential impact of incorporating modest amounts of physical activity into daily routines as a proactive measure against the detrimental health consequences associated with sedentary lifestyles.
“The effect of doing physical activity on a regular basis is astonishing — you could say exercise is both prevention and medicine, like brushing your teeth for avoiding cavities,” said Edvard Sagelv, PhD. He is an author of the study and a researcher in the school of sport sciences at the UiT the Arctic University of Norway, in Tromsø.
A Little Exercise Makes a Big Difference
The findings, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on Tuesday, are based on an analysis of extensive datasets from Norway, Sweden, and the United States, encompassing health information from nearly 12,000 adults aged 50 and above over the period spanning 2003 to 2019. Participants in the study were equipped with physical activity tracking devices for a minimum of four days, with each day requiring at least 10 hours of monitoring, and the observation period extended to a minimum of two years.
The study revealed that approximately half of the subjects spent less than 10.5 hours sitting daily, while the remaining participants surpassed this threshold, engaging in 10.5 or more sedentary hours. Drawing on previous research indicating that adults in Western countries typically spend about 9 to 10 hours daily in sedentary activities, the researchers, led by Dr. Sagelv, sought to assess the impact of sedentary behavior on health outcomes.
The analysis, linking the collected health data with death registries, discovered that around 7 percent of participants experienced mortality over an average follow-up period of five years. Within this group, individuals who sat for more than 12 hours per day exhibited a 38 percent higher likelihood of death compared to their counterparts who were sedentary for an average of eight hours daily. Notably, this elevated risk was primarily observed in those who both sat for 12 hours or more and engaged in less than 22 daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
In essence, the study underscores that irrespective of the amount of sedentary time, a higher level of moderate to vigorous physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of mortality. This highlights the crucial role of maintaining an active lifestyle in mitigating the potential adverse effects of prolonged sitting on health outcomes.
The More Activity, the Lower Your Risk
Increasing daily exercise by an additional 10 minutes has been correlated with a notable reduction in the risk of premature death, particularly among individuals who spend fewer than 10.5 hours sitting per day. In this subgroup, the augmented physical activity corresponds to a 15 percent decrease in the likelihood of death. Strikingly, for those who surpass 10.5 hours of daily sitting, the impact of an extra 10 minutes of exercise is even more profound, leading to a substantial 35 percent lower probability of premature death.
Sagelv, the expert in the study, emphasized that the risk of death tends to plateau at around 40 minutes of daily exercise for individuals with extended periods of sedentary behavior. Importantly, he stressed that there is no apparent harm associated with any amount of exercise, and generally, a higher level of physical activity corresponds to a lower overall risk of premature death.
Moreover, the study highlights that light-intensity physical activity exhibits a notable risk reduction only among individuals characterized by high levels of sedentary behavior, particularly those who spend 12 or more hours seated daily. This underscores the nuanced relationship between different levels of physical activity and their impact on mortality, emphasizing the importance of considering sedentary time in understanding the health benefits of exercise.
Getting the Least Minimum Physical Activity In Daily
The research supports the idea of engaging in a minimum of 20 to 25 minutes of daily exercise, but this is considered an average recommendation. Sagelv proposes that individuals could achieve comparable benefits by spreading 150 minutes of exercise throughout the week, for instance, 50 minutes on three separate days, as long as the daily average falls within the 20 to 25-minute range.
“The key is continuous engagement,” Sagelv said. “The challenge is to find the time and make an effort to move, which people may not like. It is more comfortable to lie on the couch.”
Jay Dawes, PhD, an associate professor of applied exercise science at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, might find the study results to be a compelling source of motivation.
“It’s a shockingly small amount of time exercising that can have a pretty significant impact in reducing your risk of dying,” he stated.
Dr. Dawes, although not part of the research, suggests that utilizing an activity-tracking device, similar to those worn by the individuals in this study, can serve as motivation to adhere to an exercise regimen.
“If you have a device that easily measures progress and tracks your results over time, it can be incredibly motivating,” he said.
He additionally recommended scheduling dedicated time on the calendar for physical activity and prioritizing it. According to Dawes, morning workouts may be optimal for some individuals as they enhance metabolism, potentially boosting productivity and alertness throughout the day. Moreover, certain studies suggest that morning exercise could yield more favorable outcomes in terms of weight loss.
“Still, some aren’t morning people,” he said. “You need to find a time and activity that works best for you.”
Sagelv recommends various ways to engage in moderate to vigorous exercise, such as brisk walking, ascending a hill at a regular pace, cycling, gardening, or enjoying active play with children.
“If super busy, always take the stairs or jump off your bus one stop before your destination and walk the final mile,” he said.
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