Ni noted the benefits of better blood pressure control: “Over time, this puts less strain on the heart and can prevent the development of heart failure or a heart attack,” he said, noting there are long-term benefits of the study findings. ![]() Diaz concluded that “regular short walks can help prevent the changes in blood pressure by regularly restoring blood flow to the legs.”ĭr. This ultimately changes blood flow and can lead to increases in blood pressure.”ĭr. “In other words, sitting puts a kink in your legs’ blood vessels. “The sitting posture creates bends and constrictions in the blood vessels of the legs,” Dr. ![]() The researchers also found that blood pressure monitoring showed that all exercise “snacks” resulted in up to a 5 mmHg drop in blood pressure reading when compared to no walking at all. ![]() “Since diabetes is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, any effort to prevent diabetes will ultimately lead to less risk of heart disease.” “Physical activity improves blood sugar levels and can reduce the risk for diabetes,” Dr. Yu-Ming Ni, a noninvasive cardiologist at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center, not involved in the study, explained to MNT that muscles are an important consumer of blood sugar. So we think that regular short walks or ‘activity snacks’ helps to activate the muscles to serve as better blood sugar and cholesterol regulators.”ĭr. “When our muscles aren’t used after hours and hours of sitting, they don’t fully help out to regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels. “Muscles serve an important role in our health by helping to regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels - but they need to be used and contracted to do this,” he said. Diaz explained the potential mechanism behind the biological effects on blood sugar: The research team also found that a 5-minute walk every half hour led to a 58% reduction in blood sugar spikes after eating.ĭr. We can now provide them with guidance on this one behavior change to reduce their health risks from sitting.” There are so many adults who have a job or lifestyle where they have to sit for prolonged periods. “Just like we have recommendations on how many fruits and vegetables we should eat each day and how much we should exercise - this is the most exciting part of this work. Lead study author Keith Diaz, Ph.D, associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia, told Medical News Today the most exciting part of the new research is that they’ve answered how best to prevent the detrimental health effects of sitting. The researchers found that participants’ blood sugar and blood pressure levels were reduced after 5 minutes of walking for every 30 minutes of sitting. Health effects of 5-minute walking breaks To help reduce those risks, researchers and health experts recommend getting up from your desk often and moving around. Yet regardless of how physically active you are, studies have shown that prolonged sitting can still increase your risk of serious health complications. ![]() The Physical A ctivity Guidelines for Americans state that adults should engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week combined with 2 days of strength training. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults aim to sit less throughout the day. Reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity a matter of public health. On the flipside, people who exercise tend to report better mental health. Studies have also shown people who lead a sedentary lifestyle are also at higher risk of developing mental health disorders. 12 in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.Ī sedentary lifestyle has serious health implications, contributing to an increased risk of: Specifically, the researchers found that a 5-minute walk every 30 minutes could offset the effects of prolonged sitting. Researchers and health experts are committed to finding ways to mitigate the harmful effects of prolonged sitting.Ī new study from Columbia University in New York suggests that regular bursts of short exercise “snacks” throughout the working day might be enough to counter the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. The number of people leading sedentary lifestyles is increasing due to a rise in occupational sedentary behaviors, such as office work, and increased use of electronic devices.Īn estimated 60–85% of people in the world and nearly two-thirds of children lead sedentary lifestyles. The institution has described a sedentary lifestyle as being among the 10 leading causes of death and disability in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates around 2 million deaths each year are linked to physical inactivity.
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