Even a Single Minute of Exercise Counts
In a study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, researchers tracked the activity of 4,511 men and women between the ages of 18 and 64 using an accelerometer to record their activity. By closely monitoring their movement throughout the day, they discovered each minute of higher-intensity activity was linked with a .07 drop in BMI.
Higher intensity activity in this study included activities like brisk walking. Based on this study, climbing stairs, briskly walking from your car to the building where you work and taking the dog for a fast walk all count when it comes to controlling your weight.
One minute of brisk physical activity may not be enough to improve your cardiovascular fitness, but string together enough of those minute or two bursts of activity throughout the day and it could make it easier to control your weight. This adds to the growing body of evidence showing that moving more during the day is important not only for weight control but for overall health.
The Perils of Sitting Too Much
A number of studies have clearly shown a link between sitting too much and an increased risk for health problems such as heart disease to type 2 diabetes AND a higher risk for mortality. This is true even if you do a structured workout regularly. Sitting for long periods of time is an independent risk factor for health problems, irrespective of whether you do a daily sweat session.
Prolonged periods of inactivity are a growing health problem since so many people have sedentary jobs and spend some of their free time in front of their computer or television set when they get home. Plus, how much time do you spend sitting in your car to and from work? Those hours of sitting add up.
How Does Sedentary Activity Cause Problems?
When you sit too long, insulin sensitivity decreases. Plus, metabolic changes occur that make it harder to clear circulating lipids from your bloodstream. Sitting for hours at a time is linked with higher triglyceride and fasting blood glucose levels. Experts now point out that sitting too long may be just as bad for your health as smoking.
Move More!
Here’s the good news. Simply getting up out of your chair and doing low-intensity exercise like walking around or stretching reduces the impact of too much sitting. You don’t have to do strenuous exercise – simply move around. Of course, it’s even better if you move a more vigorously like climbing up and down the stairs a few times if you have access to them.
How often do you need to move? Most experts recommend getting up every 20 or 30 minutes to take a low-intensity exercise break. It’s easy to get engrossed in what you’re doing and forget, but technology makes it a little easier – just set an alarm on your computer as a gentle reminder to break the sitting cycle with some movement.
It’s also helpful to keep a log of your activities throughout the day or wear a pedometer to see how much you’re actually moving. You may be a lot more sedentary than you think. There are also apps available that track your activity. Once you’re aware of how much time you spend sitting, it’s easier to make changes. Most people think they’re more active than they really are.
The Bottom Line?
Move more! Don’t assume you’re off the hook for the rest of the day just because you worked out in the morning. Even one minute of brisk activity counts when it comes to controlling your weight and taking regular breaks from sitting can help you avoid more serious metabolic issues that can impact your health.
References:
Am J Health Promot. 2013 Jan-Feb;27(3):143-51.
Am. J. Epidemiol. (2010) 172 (4): 419-429.
Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2010 July; 38(3): 105–113.
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 34 (6), 1087-1092.
Related Articles By Cathe:
“Insignificant” Daily Activities Count for Keeping Weight Off