Exercising just for 20-25 minutes can prevent death risk due to prolonged sitting

A sedentary lifestyle can increase one’s risk of death, but it may be countered by just 20 to 25 minutes of physical activity per day, according to a study published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Regardless of the amount of time spent sitting down each day, larger daily totals of physical activity are associated with a lower risk, according to the research.Adults in affluent countries sit down for nine to ten hours a day on average, primarily during work hours. Furthermore, the researchers clarify that a severely sedentary lifestyle is linked to an increased chance of passing away.

Here are details of the health study

The investigation, which was published on Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, was based on four significant datasets from the US, Sweden, and Norway that included medical records on about 12,000 persons 50 years of age and older from 2003 to 2019. For a minimum of two years, participants were observed using a physical activity tracking device for 10 hours a day, for at least four days.
Less than half of the research participants sat down for at least 10.5 hours per day, whereas the remaining participants logged at least 10.5 hours of inactivity. Dr. Sagelv and his colleagues calculated that adults in Western countries are inactive for 9 to 10 hours a day on average, largely during working hours, based on prior studies.

By connecting death registries and health data, researchers discovered that roughly 7% of participants passed away during the course of an average five-year follow-up period. The participants in that group who sat for more than 12 hours a day had a 38 percent higher chance of dying than those who remained sedentary for eight hours on average. However, the risk was higher only for those who sat for 12 hours and also engaged in less than 22 minutes of moderate-to-intense physical activity per day.

However, the individuals’ risk of death decreased by 35% if they participated in moderate-to-intense physical activity for just 10 minutes each day. And just 22 minutes of exercise a day virtually eliminated the greater risk of death linked to prolonged sitting.

The findings of the study

The results recommend exercising for at least 20 to 25 minutes a day, on an average. People may receive comparable advantages from 150 minutes a week split into different exercise intervals, such as 50 minutes three days a week as long as the average workout time is 20 to 25 minutes a day.
According to Dr. Sagelv, “constant engagement is key.” Finding the time and making the effort to move—which some individuals might not like—is the difficult part. Lying on the couch is more comfy.”
Since this study is observational in nature, causation and effect cannot be established. Furthermore, the researchers admit that they were unable to repeat measurements of sedentary hours and physical activity, ruling out any long-term changes in either.

Not taken into consideration were other potentially significant aspects such general health, mobility problems, and diet. Additionally, not all activity types and their related intensities may be accurately classified by activity monitors, such as cycling, resistance training, and gardening.