Spending several hours in a seat, whether studying, working in an office, driving a car or for any other purpose, can leave the body feeling uncomfortable. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that physical inactivity can pose a risk of mortality from non-communicable diseases, so it is advisable to be physically active. But, How much exercise is necessary to maintain health?
Recently, a team of scientists published a study revealing the amount of time and intensity of physical activity that can compensate for 10 hours of sitting in a seat per day. To calculate the recommended minutes, they analyzed data from nine studies from four countries. The results were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
How much exercise is recommended for 10 hours of sitting?
Researchers suggest that approx 30 to 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily is a sufficient amount to compensate for 10 hours of a sedentary lifestyle.
“More sedentary time is associated with higher mortality in less active individuals, as measured by accelerometry” warns the study.
Daily exercise can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. Photo: Andina
Moose accelerometers These are devices that are worn on the body and accurately measure movements, rather than simply asking people how much they exercise or how long they sit. So, using these devices, scientists were able to get more reliable results.
In addition, the researchers compared groups of people to see if these habits might affect their life expectancy, and to control for other factors such as whether they smoked or had any diseases.
Cycling is one of the most common forms of exercise on the streets of Lima. Photo: Andina
The risks of sitting for too long
In the studies the researchers reviewed, a high level of sedentary lifestyle was considered if it exceeded 10 hours a day. However, specific limits for the classification of sitting time are not known.
“Still We’re not exactly clear where the line is for “sitting too long”. But it is an area of research that is progressing at a fast pace and we hope to have answers in a few years,” commented Emmanueal Stamatakis, co-editor of the study, for the specialized portal Scimex. However, several previous studies have linked sitting in one seat for more than eight hours with illnesses.
Prolonged sitting can have a negative impact on the spine. Photo: MejorConSalud
The Mayo Clinic reported that according to research, those who sit for more than eight hours a day without physical activity have risk of death similar to that of people with problems caused by obesity and smoking. It is also associated with elevated blood pressure, high glucose levels, excess body fat around the waist, and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
What exercises to compensate for the hours spent in the chair?
According to the study, it is recommended moderate physical activity or energetic. The first alternative is any body movement that requires enough effort to raise your heart rate and breathing, but still allows you to maintain a conversation. Some of the exercises are: brisk walking, dancing, walking with pets, cycling.
Meantime, intense physical activity refers to exercises that require a higher level of effort and significantly increase heart rate and breathing. Some are: running or jogging, swimming, cycling at high speed, aerobicsplay ping pong, participate in competitive sports such as soccer, volleyball or basketball.
Doing aerobic exercise reduces the risk of heart disease. Photo: Andina
