Study: Sitting a Long Time Could Cancel Out the Benefits of Physical Activity

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While engaging in the recommended amount of physical activity is a key part to lowering your risk factors for certain diseases like heart disease and diabetes, it doesn’t necessarily mean your risk has diminished.  

A new study published in PLOS One found that even though you exercise, sitting for long periods of time can be detrimental to your health.  

The study examined the correlation between activity intensity and sitting. 

Let’s dig into the results of the study and discover ways to combat physical inactivity for a healthier you! 

Study Findings on Sitting and Physical Activity 

The study, led by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, examined data from adults aged 28 to 49, many of whom spend an average of 9 hours a day sitting.  

Researchers looked at their rates of weekly moderate physical activity, which ranged from 80 and 160 minutes, and the rates of vigorous exercise, which was an average of 135 minutes per week.  

The research team also calculated the “heart age” of each person by factoring in someone’s cholesterol and body mass index (BMI).  

After analyzing the data, researchers concluded that the age of a person’s heart increased as the amount of time spent sitting did.  

Heart age even increased for those who met minimum daily exercise recommendations. 

When researchers factored in vigorous exercise such as running or biking for 30 minutes or more a day, those numbers seemed to drop somewhat. However, it wasn’t enough to reset the clock on heart age.  

“Taking a quick walk after work may not be enough” to offset the health dangers of sitting, lead study author Chandra Reynolds told HealthDay.  

Weekly Physical Activity Recommendations 

The study’s findings underscore the importance of maintaining a good balance of moderate, vigorous, and strenuous exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  

For adults, this means getting in at least 2 and a half hours of moderate aerobic activity, like brisk walking, and muscle strengthening activities every week, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 

However, depending on the person and other circumstances, physical activity could look very different.  

Those who prefer higher intensity workouts should get 75 minutes of activities such as jogging, running, or riding a bike over hills.  

Find more activities and physical activity recommendations for your age and/or health condition. 

Physical activity has many health benefits. 

For instance, engaging in at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke and improve your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which could lead to heart-related diseases.  

Being active can lower your risk for developing at least eight types of cancer.  

What’s more, being physically active can help with reducing serious health outcomes from infectious diseases like COVID-19, the flu, and pneumonia. 

That’s why Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is partnering with Active People, Healthy Nation with their Moving Matters campaign. 

Active People, Healthy Nation and Moving Matters endeavors to get 10 million adults and 2 million young people to meet the minimum aerobic physical activity guideline by 2027. 

Make Moving Matter for Your Heart Health 

According to the American Heart Association more and more jobs are becoming sedentary, increasing 83% since 1950. 

Now, only 20% of jobs in the US require physical activity.  

As we know, physical inactivity like sitting can take a major toll on your health and increase your risk for certain diseases.  

That’s why incorporating more exercise into your physical activity regime can help you outweigh the cost of sitting.  

When looking at twins in the study, researchers found that “replacing sitting with exercise seemed to work better to improve cholesterol than simply adding exercise to a full day of sitting.” 

If you are often stuck behind a desk, you can still be on your feet.  

Researchers suggest using a standing desk, getting 30 minutes of vigorous exercise a day, or adding a strenuous workout on days off to your physical activity regimen to balance the sitting. 

While time spent sitting can be replaced by time spent moving, Johns Hopkins cardiologist Erin Michos recommends breaking up some of the sitting monotony by trying to stand for 8 minutes for every 20 minutes of sitting or move around for two minutes.  

He also suggests getting in at least 10,000 steps a day and if you are only able to get in a few thousand, pressing yourself to reach for a higher goal.  

“If you’re very sedentary, any improvement will be beneficial,” he said.   

There are other ways to get moving at work, too.  

The CDC suggests simple workaround‘s like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, initiating office physical activity breaks, or check out DeskFit. 

For more ways to overcome barriers to weekly physical activity goals visit the CDC website.