Just 22 minutes per day of brisk walking, housework or jogging can offset the negative health effects of spending most of your day sitting down, new research shows.
People who spend at least 12 hours a day sitting down, in an office job or watching TV, are more likely to die earlier, but experts found that this extra risk can be eliminated through exercise.
The study backs up NHS recommendations that people aim for 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per week.
Examples of moderate activity include very brisk walking, heavy cleaning such as washing windows or mopping, cycling at 10-12mph or badminton.
Vigorous activity includes hiking, jogging, shovelling and fast cycling, and playing football, basketball or tennis.
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In the UK, guidelines say: “For good physical and mental health, adults should aim to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none, and more is better still.”
The new study, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, examined data for 11,989 people aged over 50 — half of whom were women — from Norway, Sweden and the US.
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People in the study had worn activity trackers that measured their exercise levels.
In all, 5,943 people spent fewer than 10.5 hours sitting down every day while 6,042 spent 10.5 or more hours being sedentary. Over a five-year follow-up, 805 of the people died.
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The research showed exercising for 22 minutes each day offset the negative effects of being sedentary and eliminated the risk of dying early due to prolonged sitting down.
The study’s author Edvard Sagelv, from the Arctic University of Norway, said: “In our study, we found that only those people doing more than 12 hours per day sitting had a higher risk of death.
“We are talking about any sitting behaviour – such as being in the office or watching TV for long periods of time.
“In our study, every minute higher MVPA showed a lower risk of death – meaning if people were doing less than 22 minutes (such as 10 minutes) there was still a lower risk of death.
“However, doing 22 minutes eliminated the higher risk of death from sedentary time.
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“This means that if doing 22 minutes or more per day, there was no excess risk from sedentary time.
“And, if doing more than 22 minutes per day, there was a lower risk of death overall. Basically, the more the better.”
Regina Giblin, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This research supports previous findings that show the negative effects of long periods sitting down and the positive impact of exercise.
“It’s previously been shown that being sedentary for long periods increases the risk of heart and circulatory disease.
“There are some simple tips that can help to spend less time sitting down.
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“Walking away from your computer screen at regular intervals, going for a walk or cooking a healthy meal from scratch are ways to incorporate active time into your day.
“Being active can help you control your weight, reduce your blood pressure and improve your mental health.”
