In our modern society, a large number of people lead very sedentary lives and spend most of their days in a seated position. Unfortunately, such a lifestyle is not ideal. However, it is possible to compensate for all this time spent sitting by exercising. It remains to be seen how much exercise you need to do for this to be effective.
The dangers of a sedentary lifestyle
Physical inactivity has become over time a major public health issue. This way of life has become more and more common in many countries, while it is linked to many health problems. A person is said to have a sedentary lifestyle when they spend six or more hours a day in a sitting or lying position and do not perform significant physical movements in their daily life. Most people who have a desk job lead a sedentary life.
As you might expect, there are many health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. In particular, studies have linked a sedentary lifestyle toobesityau diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and various metabolic problems. A sedentary lifestyle can also affect well-being and mental health. Such a way of life promotes the depressionl’anxiety and the stress. It also causes problems of insomnia, fatigue, body aches and difficulty concentrating.
Unfortunately, many people don’t really have a choice and lead a sedentary lifestyle due to their profession. To reduce the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle, it is generally recommended to expend more energy – and more specifically to do more exercise – on a daily basis. According to official guidelines, people who have a sedentary lifestyle should get at least 30 minutes of daily exercise to compensate for their lack of physical activity throughout the day.
30 to 40 minutes of physical activity a day to stay in shape
A study published in the journal British Journal of Sport Medicine confirmed the relevance of these directives. After analyzing nine studies on the subject and involving more than 44,000 people, it was indeed concluded that 30 to 40 minutes of physical activity of moderate to intense intensity is necessary to compensate for a day with 10 hours of immobility. According to the researchers, this would in particular reduce the association between a sedentary lifestyle and an increased risk of death.
But getting 30 to 40 minutes of exercise isn’t easy for everyone. To achieve this, experts advise not to start by doing 30 to 40 minutes of sport a day. Instead, it can help enormously to start by adopting good habits like taking the stairs instead of elevators, walking instead of driving, or making time to play with your children or pets. As the body becomes accustomed to expending more energy, easy-to-do sports such as cycling, aerobics, and brisk walking are introduced; and you can always keep pushing the bar higher followingwards.
