We all know that staying seated for too long isn’t great for our health, but how much exercise is necessary to offset the downsides of being stuck at a desk all day? Research indicates that engaging in about 30 to 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise can help.
If you can manage to squeeze in half an hour of physical activity daily, it may counterbalance up to 10 hours of sitting. Even minor movements, like just standing up, can be beneficial to some degree.
This conclusion comes from a meta-analysis published in 2020, which reviewed nine studies involving over 44,000 participants from four countries, all using fitness trackers to gather data.
The findings revealed that the risk of death increased for individuals leading a more sedentary lifestyle, particularly as their activity levels dropped.
Researchers noted, “For active individuals engaging in approximately 30-40 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, the link between high sedentary time and mortality risk is not significantly different from those who have lower amounts of sedentary time.”
Essentially, incorporating some form of vigorous activity—like cycling, brisk walking, or even gardening—can bring down your risk of early death to levels similar to those who don’t spend as much time sitting around, according to the aggregated data from thousands of people.
While meta-analyses can be complex, this particular study relied on objective data from wearables, which tends to be more reliable than self-reported information.
When this study came out, it coincided with the World Health Organization’s 2020 Global Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior, crafted by a dedicated group of scientists from around the globe. The British Journal of Sports Medicine also released a special edition that featured both the study and the updated guidelines.
As highlighted in the guidelines, any level of physical activity is beneficial; in fact, not being sedentary at all is definitely better than doing nothing.
Researcher Emmanuel Stamatakis from the University of Sydney pointed out that people can still safeguard their health and mitigate the risks associated with a mostly inactive lifestyle.
This research complements WHO guidelines recommending between 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise weekly to counteract sedentary behavior.
Simple activities like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, engaging with kids or pets, participating in yoga or dancing, and even doing household chores, can help increase activity levels. If jumping straight into 30-40 minutes feels overwhelming, researchers advise starting small.
However, providing universal recommendations can be challenging. Still, the suggested 40-minute duration aligns with earlier research. As more studies arise, we might gain better insights on maintaining health while spending prolonged hours at a desk.
“While the guidelines represent the best current knowledge, there are still gaps,” Stamatakis acknowledged.
For example, we don’t clearly define the threshold for “too much sitting.” This field of research is evolving rapidly, and hopefully, we’ll gain more clarity in the coming years.
The research was published, and the 2020 guidelines can be accessed within the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Additional details are available as well.
An earlier version of this article was published in November 2020.
