5 minute walk every 30 minutes improves health outcomes after prolonged sitting

Prolonged sitting can have negative health effects, even with regular exercise, according to results of a published study Medicine and science in sport and exercise.

Researchers at Columbia University have found that 5 minutes of walking every half hour for prolonged periods of time while seated can help offset the harmful effects. They studied 5 different short exercises, which included 1 minute of walking after 30 minutes of sitting, 1 minute after 60 minutes, 5 minutes after every 30 minutes, 5 minutes after every 60 minutes, and no walking.

“If we hadn’t compared several options and varied the frequency and duration of exercise, we could only have provided people with our best estimates of the optimal routine,” said Keith Diaz, PhD, associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia. University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said in a statement.

In other studies, researchers evaluated 1 or 2 activity options, which did not lead to an optimal solution.

Investigators included 11 people in the study who sat in ergonomic chairs for 8 hours and only got up at recommended times, to go to the bathroom or walk on treadmills.

Participants were monitored to ensure they were not exercising too much or too little.

The investigators also periodically measured the individuals’ blood pressure and blood sugar levels, which are key indicators of cardiovascular health.

Additionally, participants were allowed to read, work on laptops and use their phones during the sessions and provided with meals.

Investigators found that the optimal amount of movement was 5 minutes every 30 minutes, which was the only time that significantly reduced both blood pressure and blood sugar.

Additionally, this amount of time had a dramatic effect on how individuals respond to larger meals by reducing blood sugar spikes by 58% compared to sitting all day.

Study results showed that taking a 1-minute walk break every 30 minutes also provided modest benefits for blood sugar, but walking every 60 minutes provided no benefit for either 1 or 5 minutes. .

“What we know now is that for optimal health, you need to be moving regularly at work, in addition to a daily exercise routine,” Diaz said. “While it may seem inconvenient, our results show that even small amounts of walking spread out over the workday can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.”

All amounts of walking significantly reduced blood pressure by 4 to 5 mmHg compared to sitting all day, which Diaz said was a comparable reduction to daily exercise for 6 months.

Investigators also periodically measured the individual’s cognitive performance, fatigue, and mood levels during the tests. All walking regimens except walking for one minute per hour resulted in a significant decrease in fatigue and a significant improvement in mood.

However, none of the walking regimes had any impact on cognition.

Investigators are evaluating 25 different “doses” of walking on health outcomes as well as a wider variety of individuals.

In the current study, all of the individuals were in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and most did not have diabetes or high blood pressure.

Reference

Rx for prolonged sitting: A five-minute walk every half hour. Science Daily. Press release. January 12, 2023. Accessed January 17, 2023. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230112134726.htm