It can feel hard. If you’re tired and resting on the couch; or you’ve done your daily chores and simply want to put up your feet; or your joints ache and you want to sit and watch your favorite show- you just don’t feel like moving. For many of us, the natural inclination is to sit whenever possible. It’s not that you hate to move or walk, it’s just that it takes more energy than you can usually muster. This is despite the fact that we know excessive sitting can be bad for your health. However, it’s clear that with only a little movement- taking a couple of minutes to stand up and move, or a relatively short stroll- you can counteract the harms of being sedentary- and still have plenty of time to relax and unwind. Newly published research supports the concept that brief bouts of physical activity count toward lowering your risk of harm from sitting.

First comes a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine which reports that a sedentary person can lower his or her risk of mortality with much less physical movement than you’d think. According to this study of close to 12,000 people over age 50, just 22 minutes/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can lower the risk of death in sedentary people (sitting 12 hours/day or more) by 38%. The 22 minutes/day aligns with the exercise recommendations from the World Health Organization of 150 minutes/week. Of course, more movement gets you even better results, but for those of us who find that physical exertion is a struggle, this is a reasonably easy ask for better health outcomes. 

Do those 22 minutes have to be done all at once? Apparently breaking them up into very brief activity stints (or, as we previously called them, “activity snacks”) does the job just fine. One researcher, Keith Diaz, has determined that a 5-minute walk every half hour is the sweet spot for counteracting the health harms of sitting. Another new research study, this one published in Translational Behavioral Medicine found that it’s not just how long you sit but your pattern of sitting in long, unbroken periods that can cause negative health outcomes. Recommendations from these researchers? Take 2-3 minute activity breaks every 30-45 minutes when you’re sitting, and that will be sufficient to counteract the harms of your sedentary behavior. For more on this study, walk away from your chair and click here.

Once again looking at brief bouts of physical activity, another new study published in Lancet Public Health found that in people who do not regularly exercise (we’re looking at you, couch potatoes), short bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity improve longevity and cardiovascular health. Just quickly taking the stairs, sweeping the yard vigorously, or doing some other physical activity with intensity for short periods can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and even premature death. This study, out of the University of Sydney, tracked over 25,000 people ages 42-78 and found that short bouts of moving/activity for less than 3 minutes (with some huffing and puffing for at least 10 seconds of each minute) can reap significant benefits. For more on this study, grab your broom and read here.

Finally, if you’re trying to target high blood pressure, here again, brief periods of walking (this time ½ hour a day) can be as beneficial as some hypertension meds. A new study published in The Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease found that for older sedentary adults, getting in an extra 3000 steps a day (30 minutes for most of us) can significantly bring down high blood pressure. In this study of sedentary adults aged 68-78, those extra steps each day (regardless of how fast or continuous you achieve them) made a big difference. So take a brief vacation from the couch and read more here.