Being sedentary can majorly impact your life, but so can sitting for too long during the day. Spending extended periods sitting may result in a higher risk of several health problems, including diabetes and heart disease. While this has been known for a long time, new evidence suggests that there is an effective solution to counteract the effects that sitting can have on your health. We’ll be taking a closer look at the findings of this particular study and how you can utilize it in your own life.
Research On Offsetting The Effects Of Prolonged Sitting
A recently published study by the Columbia University of New York made an important discovery. For many years, it’s been known that sitting down for a long time can be detrimental to health, especially over a long period. Yet, several jobs require you to sit down all day. From receptionists to office workers, needing to sit down for so long can take a toll on your health in time.
The researchers found that taking regular breaks from sitting and focusing on walking may help offset the impact. The study used different intervals for these breaks and time spent walking. The study consisted of multiple groups, too. These groups were divided based on the prescribed program:
- Walk 1 minute every 30 minutes
- Walk 5 minutes every 30 minutes
- Walk 1 minute every 60 minutes
- Walk 5 minutes every 60 minutes
The participants had to perform light-intensity walking during the breaks. The researchers considered both blood pressure and glucose levels. Blood glucose levels were analyzed in 15-minute intervals. Additionally, blood pressure was taken once every hour.
By the end of the study, the researchers found that the five-minute walk every 30 minutes seemed to have the most profound effects on the well-being of the study participants. Systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced, and glucose levels were better controlled among this particular group.
Resistance Exercises At Regular Breaks During Evening Sitting Also Offers Benefits
This was only one of the many studies that have looked at ways to break up sitting time and introduce some form of physical activity in these breaks. In another study, researchers rather turned their focus to evening sitting time. Many people tend to come home from work, then spend their evening on the sofa. It’s the perfect way to relax after a difficult day at work, but it’s also a habit that contributes to a sedentary lifestyle.
The study particularly focused on this factor, which seems to be a habit for many people. Thirty individuals were involved in the study. Ten were overweight, and 10 were obese. The researchers divided the participants into two groups.
- Group 1: Prolonged sitting for four hours straight starting at 17:00.
- Group 2: Break after every 30 minutes, including three minutes of resistance training exercises.
The group who performed resistance exercises every half an hour experienced improvements in blood glucose control. The participants were also asked to consume a meal at the starting point (17:00) and two hours later. Insulin response was better amongst the individuals who got up to do three-minute exercises every 30 minutes. Blood sugar levels were also lower in this particular group. Glucose levels were 31.5% lower in those who performed physical exercise, and insulin iAUC was also lowered by an average of 26.6%.
Tips To Create A Healthier Routine
Now that we’ve analyzed this data, it’s important to find a way to implement it in your own life. You’ll first need to assess your own situation to determine how you can implement these findings. If you work a day job at an office, then it might be tough to get up every 30 minutes. With this said, in the first study we looked at, individuals who got up every 60 minutes still experienced some benefits. Thus, if 30-minute intervals are inappropriate based on your work, try to ensure you get up and walk around at least once every hour.
Additionally, it’s essential to also look closely at your evening habits. When you sit down the entire evening watching TV or playing games, then it’s going to affect your health in the long run. Even in cases where you hit the gym before you come home, it’s still important to break up your sitting time. If you’re exercising regularly, then you may not need to perform additional resistance training every 30 minutes when you get up from the sofa in the evening. You can, however, still consider taking a quick walk outside.
While walking is not a high-intensity exercise, it has several potential health benefits. Walking does burn some calories. The amount of calories you burn depends on the pace at which you walk, as well as for how long. The terrain you walk on can also impact the calories burnt. For example, you’ll generally burn more calories when walking up a hill than on a flat surface.
Researchers have found that walking for 30 minutes every day can reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by 19%. Furthermore, walking is also a great way to lower your blood sugar levels. This makes the activity great for people who have diabetes and want a quick way to address high blood sugar.
Bottom Line
If you’re sitting for most of the day, getting up every 30 minutes could help to reduce your risk of serious diseases. Even when you exercise regularly, sitting for too long can still hurt your life. However, a five-minute walk every half an hour has now been shown to counteract these effects. It’s easy to implement this into your daily life, and it can even be a habit to share with your co-workers to promote better health in the workplace.