Everyday activities such as simple household chores may help counteract the negative health effects of long sedentary periods, according to new findings from the American Council on Exercise released in December.
The council commissioned a research team from Western State Colorado University’s High Altitude Exercise Physiology Program to identify the optimal frequency, intensity and length of time spent moving to improve cardiometabolic health among middle-age and older adults.
After a week spending just five minutes each hour on low-to-moderate standing activities, such as folding laundry, washing dishes or standing while reading, research participants saw increases in HDL and triglycerides as well as a reduction in blood sugar. Similar results were also identified after more intense 10-minute bouts of activitiy every two hours.
Other activities that participants performed, also while standing, included getting dressed, working at a desk and even singing.
Thirteen adults who each had one or more cardiometabolic disorders, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high blood sugar, participated in the research. They took part in exercise programs with a one-week break in between each program, during which participants resumed their normal lifestyles.
Similar results were also identified after the more intense ten-minute bouts of activity.
“One of the most enlightening findings of this study was that the intensity and the duration at which health benefits can be seen are surprisingly small,” Sabrena Jo, MS, an American Council on Fitness-certified health coach, personal trainer and group fitness instructor, told The Nation’s Health.
She noted that the health benefits were about the same for higher- and lower-intensity exercise, which could be encouraging to people who are easing into a regular exercise regimen. Public health and fitness advocates can send the message that even a small amount of effort over time can go a long way toward better health, Jo said.
However, the health benefits gained from everyday standing activities were reversed once participants stopped, underscoring the need to keep up regular exercise.
Jo recommended that people find small ways each day to make exercise into a habit so they will be less inclined to become sedentary. Such a goal can be made easy for people who are seated most of the day, she said. For example, simple ways to incorporate more exercise into a typical workday could include standing up to answer phone calls and respond to emails or walking to a different floor to take a restroom or water break.
“I find it very encouraging that five minutes of very light activity is enough to change cardiometabolic health,” Jo said.
For more information, visit https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/certified/december-2017/6825/ace-sponsored-research-what-is-the-optimal-fit-to-reduce-sedentary-behavior-to-improve.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association
