(The Dialog) – To scale back the dangerous well being results of sitting, take a five-minute mild stroll each half-hour. That’s the important thing discovering of a brand new research that my colleagues and I revealed within the journal Medication & Science in Sports activities & Train.
We requested 11 wholesome middle-aged and older adults to take a seat in our lab for eight hours – representing an ordinary workday – over the course of 5 separate days. On a kind of days, contributors sat for the whole eight hours with solely brief breaks to make use of the toilet. On the opposite days, we examined quite a few completely different methods to interrupt up an individual’s sitting with mild strolling. For instance, on sooner or later, contributors walked for one minute each half-hour. On one other day, they walked for 5 minutes each hour.
Our purpose was to search out the least quantity of strolling one may do to offset the dangerous well being results of sitting. Particularly, we measured adjustments in blood sugar ranges and blood strain, two necessary danger elements for coronary heart illness.
We discovered {that a} five-minute mild stroll each half-hour was the one technique that diminished blood sugar ranges considerably in contrast with sitting all day. Particularly, five-minute walks each half-hour diminished the blood sugar spike after consuming by virtually 60%.
That technique additionally diminished blood strain by 4 to 5 factors in contrast with sitting all day. However shorter and fewer frequent walks improved blood strain too. Even only a one-minute mild stroll each hour diminished blood strain by 5 factors.
Along with bodily well being advantages, there have been additionally psychological well being advantages to the strolling breaks. In the course of the research, we requested contributors to price their psychological state through the use of a questionnaire. We discovered that in contrast with sitting all day, a five-minute mild stroll each half-hour diminished emotions of fatigue, put contributors in a greater temper and helped them really feel extra energized. We additionally discovered that even walks simply as soon as each hour have been sufficient to spice up temper and cut back emotions of fatigue.Together with brief, frequent walks, a protracted each day stroll may add years to your life.
Why it issues
Individuals who sit for hours on finish develop continual ailments together with diabetes, coronary heart illness, dementia and several other varieties of most cancers at a lot increased charges than individuals who transfer all through their day. A sedentary way of life additionally places folks at a a lot better danger of early loss of life. However simply exercising each day might not reverse the dangerous well being results of sitting.
Due to technological advances, the period of time adults in industrialized nations just like the U.S. spend sitting has been steadily growing for many years. Many adults now spend the vast majority of their day sitting. This drawback has solely gotten worse because the begin of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the migration to extra distant work, persons are much less inclined to enterprise out of the home today. So it’s clear that methods are wanted to fight a rising twenty first century public well being drawback.
Present tips suggest that adults ought to “sit much less, transfer extra.” However these suggestions don’t present any particular recommendation or methods for the way typically and the way lengthy to maneuver.
Our work supplies a easy and reasonably priced technique: Take a five-minute mild stroll each half-hour. When you’ve got a job or way of life the place you must sit for extended durations, this one conduct change may cut back your well being dangers from sitting.
Our research additionally provides clear steering to employers on tips on how to promote a more healthy office. Whereas it could appear counterintuitive, taking common strolling breaks can truly assist staff be extra productive than working with out stopping.
What nonetheless isn’t identified
Our research primarily targeted on taking common strolling breaks at a light-weight depth. A number of the strolling methods – for instance, one-minute mild walks each hour – didn’t decrease blood sugar ranges. We don’t know if extra rigorous strolling would have supplied well being advantages at these doses.
What’s subsequent
We’re at the moment testing over 25 completely different methods for offsetting the well being harms of extended sitting. Many adults have jobs, similar to driving vehicles or taxis, the place they merely can’t stroll each half-hour. Discovering various methods that yield comparable outcomes can present the general public with a number of completely different choices and finally permit folks to choose the technique that works finest for them and their way of life.