This is how many minutes of exercise can offset effects of sitting all day — and exactly what to do
While your cubicle job could be a death sentence, a new study has found ways to offset the negative consequences of sitting all day.
The average American spends approximately nine hours sitting while awake, past estimates have shown, which has been linked to an increased risk of developing dementia, obesity, heart disease and even death.
But a mere 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity has the potential to lower the risk of adverse health effects of being sedentary, according to research published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Before you sign up for your closest gym, study author Edvard Sagelv, a researcher at The Arctic University of Norway, said just a bit of exertion can go a long way.
“This is the beautiful part: we are talking about activities that make you breathe a little bit heavier, like brisk walking, or gardening or walking up a hill,” Sagelv told NBC News.
“Think of it: only 20 minutes of this a day is enough, meaning, a small stroll of 10 minutes twice a day — like jumping off the bus one stop before your actual destination to work and then when taking the bus back home, jumping off one stop before.”
The research team analyzed data collected between 2003 and 2019 of 11,989 patients, who wore activity trackers, to determine whether moderate to vigorous physical activity could offset the risk of death associated with prolonged sitting, “such as being in the office or watching TV for long periods of time,” Sagelv told The Guardian.
The participants — from Sweden, Norway and the US who were at least 50 years of age — must have recorded a minimum of four days of activity, with 10 hours each day, for at least two years.
In total, 5,943 people sat for less than 10.5 hours, while 6,042 tallied 10.5 or more hours of sitting.
When cross-referenced with death registries during a period of five years, 805 people died, more than half of which sat for 10.5 hours or more per day.
Sitting for 12 hours or more per day was linked to a 38% increased risk of mortality among those who did not exercise more than 22 minutes per day, compared to that of people who only say for eight hours.
However, 22 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day was associated with a lower risk of death, suggesting that more exercise could yield more benefits.
“This means that if doing 22 minutes or more per day, there was no excess risk from sedentary time. And, if doing more than 22 minutes per day, there was a lower risk of death overall. Basically, the more the better,” Sagelv told The Guardian.
The findings mirror guidance set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which encourages Americans to get 150 hours per week — or about 22 minutes per day — of moderate exercise, as well as two days allocated for strength training.
To get the most out of a quick workout, personal trainer Ali Malik, the founder of UK-based Fit Labs Kensington, recommends compound exercises, which “engage with multiple muscle groups at the same time,” such as push-ups, planks, squats and deadlifts.
He told the Independent that circuit training will give gym rats the best bang for their buck.
Malik advised to start with a three-minute warm-up before jumping into 10 reps of each exercise followed by a 30-second rest, then repeat, ending with a three-minute cool-down.
“It will elevate your heart rate, put your muscles under tension to maintain and build strength, and help with your cardiovascular system,” he said.
