Top 5 Research-Backed Methods to Combat Sitting Damage

Commitment to Fitness is Crucial

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Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle

Living a sedentary lifestyle by sitting too much may accelerate your journey to an early death, mainly due to chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease as per multiple studies. It’s high time to stand up, move around, and get physically active.

The Power of Physical Activity

Emerging studies reveal that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity like running, brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or even stair climbing can offer significant benefits for weight loss. You’ll know you’re exercising with moderate intensity if you can talk but not sing while doing it. On the other hand, vigorous-intensity exercises are those which leave you out of breath after uttering just a few words.

Interestingly, the European Heart Journal recently published a study that found less strenuous activities, including getting a good night’s sleep, can also contribute to weight loss.

According to this study, trading 30 minutes of sitting for 30 minutes of sleep each day can reduce overall body mass by approximately one pound (0.43 kg/m2) and shave about two-thirds of an inch (1.75 centimeters) off waistlines. The study also talks about the Body Mass Index (BMI), a measurement that involves a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. Find out more about BMI calculation here.

The Role of Sleep in Health

Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, questions whether restorative sleep is more beneficial than lounging on the couch while munching on snacks and watching TV. While he insists that the study doesn’t suggest that you can simply sleep your cardiovascular risks away, he affirms that an adequate amount of rest, coupled with a healthy diet, regular exercise, stress management, and socializing are all powerful ways to reduce cardiovascular risk.

How Light Activities Can Help

Swapping 30 minutes of sitting with an equal amount of standing or light activities like walking can also yield similar benefits in terms of weight loss and waist circumference reduction. The authors of this study believe that replacing sedentary behaviors with any form of activity can improve BMI, waist circumference, cholesterol levels, and triglycerides.

However, the intensity of activity also matters. For instance, doing a half-hour of moderate-to-vigorous exercise instead of sitting can lead to over 1 pound of weight loss (0.63kg/m²) and reduce about 1 inch (2.4 centimeters) of fat from the waistline.

The Need for Personalized Recommendations

Mark Hamer, a clinical professor in the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health at University College London, believes that while it’s not surprising that increased physical activity is beneficial for heart health, what’s novel about this study is the approach of considering a range of behaviors across an entire day. This will allow for more personalized recommendations to encourage people to be more active in ways that suit their lifestyle.

The ProPASS Consortium

This new study is the first to emerge from the international Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep (ProPASS) consortium, a multinational study that uses objective measures to analyze movement. A team of researchers at University College London analyzed the results of six studies with authors based in several countries including Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Getting Active is Key

James Leiper, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, emphasizes the importance of committing to changes you can stick to and enjoy. Incorporating ‘activity snacks’ such as walking while talking on the phone, or setting an alarm to get up and do some star jumps every hour can help you start building activity into your day, leading to a healthy, active lifestyle.

Additionally, research shows that getting up and moving every hour for five minutes helps maintain cardiovascular tone. Even one minute of walking every hour has been shown to reduce blood pressure, according to a study published earlier this year.

Working While Staying Active

For those who have a more rigid workplace culture, moving doesn’t necessarily mean having to leave your desk. You can incorporate simple exercises into your routine, like practicing box squats by standing up and sitting back down gently, then repeating the motion. And if you have more room to move, consider taking a quick dance break – a fun way to keep active and lift your spirits!