YIn this era where many people live their life sitting on their desks, a lot of people just don’t have time to exercise.
There have been plenty of studies which support that exercise brings positive effects to our health. If those haven’t encouraged you to make a move yet, this time, a new study highlights the importance of replacing the time spent sitting with any physical activity. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout or a full sprint. It can be a short walk in the park or some simple stretching—just get up and do something.
In the study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers revealed that people who replace their sitting time with any physical activity tend to have a longer lifespan than those who are captives of their chairs all day.
“If you have a job or lifestyle that involves a lot of sitting, you can lower your risk of early death by moving more often, for as long as you want and as your ability allows—whether that means taking an hour-long high-intensity spin class or choosing lower-intensity activities, like walking.” -Keith Diaz, Columbia University, lead author of the study.
The researchers used the data from a national study conducted from 2009 to 2013 which involved middle-aged Americans. Originally, the study was used to investigate the different outcomes of stroke from various demographic groups. The participants of the said study were required to use trackers for at least four days to monitor their activity.
The researchers used their activity logs to find out the amount of physical activity a person does in a day as well as the amount of time they spend sitting. They then tracked a total of 7,999 participants of the original study to find out they have died up until 2017.
The results revealed that even small amounts of added activity in a day would have noticeable effects on people’s life expectancy.
A person who replaces sitting with about 30 minutes of light physical activity every day would have at least a 17 percent decrease in risk of early death. These activities include walking around, doing chores or simple stretching.
On the other hand, a person who replaces sitting with at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day would have at least a 35 percent decrease in risk of early death. This can be anything from brisk walking to running, cycling, aerobic dancing, and others.
If you are really busy with your work and such you can’t find extra time for physical activities, you can start by avoiding elevators or escalators. It is also worth to try getting up a little earlier and going to work on a bicycle or by walking than using your car or public transportation. Not only it will make you live longer, but it can also help you save on transportation costs.