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This Much Exercise Can Combat The Impact Of Sedentary Time, Study Says

Sarah Regan
Author:
October 01, 2024
Sarah Regan
mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor
By Sarah Regan
mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor
Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.
Image by BONNINSTUDIO / Stocksy
October 01, 2024

We all sit a whole lot more than we'd ideally like to—you might even be sitting right now! Sedentary lifestyles, while not good for our health, have ultimately become the norm, so it's important to offset sitting with regular exercise.

And according to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine1, exactly how much exercise you need to do that might be less than you think.

Studying the impact of exercise and sedentary time on longevity

For this study, researchers wanted to assess the impact of sedentary time and exercise on mortality. As they write, "In western countries, adults spend an average of nine to 10 hours per day being sedentary, mostly during working hours. As higher sedentary time is associated with higher risk of noncommunicable diseases and mortality, preventive measures are important."

So, they looked at data from just under 12,000 people ages 50 and up who wore physical activity trackers for at least two years. Participants also reported data about other health factors like their height, weight, and current or previous diseases, etc.

Just over half of the participants were sedentary (aka sitting down) for 10.5 or more hours every day, and those people also had an increased risk of death. Namely, the activity tracker data showed that being sedentary for 12+ hours a day was associated with a 38% higher risk of death, but just 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) offset that risk.

As the study authors explain, "Higher levels of MVPA were associated with lower mortality risk irrespective of the amounts of sedentary time. In contrast, higher sedentary time was only associated with mortality risk in participants with low levels of MVPA. Accumulating at least 22 minutes per day of MVPA eliminated the association between sedentary time and mortality."

What to do about it

These findings come as great news to those of us who can't avoid sitting while we're working during the day—because 22 minutes really isn't much to ask. Even an extra 10 minutes of exercise a day was associated with a 35% lower risk of death among participants spending more than 10.5 sedentary hours every day.

As the researchers write, "Small amounts of moderate to vigorous physical activity may be an effective strategy to ameliorate the mortality risk from high sedentary time, where accumulating more than 22 minutes eliminates the risk of high sedentary time."

So set your timer for 22 minutes and choose your workout! Moderate to vigorous physical activity includes anything that gets your heart rate and respiratory rate up, so think things like jogging, brisk walking, biking, dancing, and hiking uphill.

The takeaway

When sitting can't be avoided, it's important to make time to offset those effects. Not only will your body thank you for staying strong and limber, but according to this research, in just 22 minutes you could also offset the mortality risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

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