Micro-walks, the key to better health? Research suggests sitting for more than eight hours can be linked with a mortality risk.
Sedentary behaviour or insufficient physical activity has been shown in a number of studies to negatively impact physical and mental health and potentially increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer-related mortality. Indeed, a meta-analysis of thirteen research papers found that sitting for more than eight hours without physical activity is associated with a mortality risk comparable to that caused by obesity and smoking.
With many in the UK struggling to meet NHS guidance of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or
75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity each week, hope is offered by a study published on the 16 October 2024 by the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: (Biological Sciences).
The study led by Dr Francesco Luciano, Luca Ruggiero Minetti and Pavei; (“Move less, spend more, the metabolic demands of short walkabouts”), revealed that patients measured when either walking on a treadmill or using a stair climber expended between 20% and 60% more oxygen when exercising in 10 to 30 second bursts with breaks in between, than with covering the same distance in one go.
Commentary
The phrase “sitting is the new smoking” has now become common parlance in the UK’s Lexicon since it was first coined by James Levene, Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in 2021. This study provides some comfort to those who either prefer to, or are time limited, to exercise in short bursts that this will be of benefit to their health and wellbeing.
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