Whether it’s a brisk walk around the block, mowing the lawn, or playing tennis, clocking 22 minutes of moderate physical activity every day may be enough to offset the unhealthy lifestyle of sitting for long periods of time, according to a recent study.
The observational study, published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that a sedentary lifestyle was associated with a higher risk of death but only in people who got less than 22 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day.
“Small amounts of moderate to vigorous physical activity may be an effective strategy to ameliorate the mortality risk from high sedentary time, where accumulating more than 22 minutes eliminates the risk of high sedentary time,” the researchers stated.
Moderate physical activity can include walking quickly, skating and bike riding, Health Canada states on its website. Vigorous activities include running, basketball, soccer and cross-country skiing.
In Canada, adults spend an average of 9.8 hours in sedentary behaviour (like sitting), according to a 2022 Statistics Canada report. This lifestyle increases a person’s risk for hypertension, obesity, depression, chronic conditions and premature mortality.
“Basically, any movement you do with your body — it could be a brisk walk, it could be working in a garden, it could be playing with your kids — anything that gets your body moving, you’re going to benefit from,” said Jon McGavock a professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of Manitoba and a Heart & Stroke Foundation researcher.
“So this (study) adds to just this massive body of evidence to show that people who move more live longer and live longer with healthier lives.”
Walking should be brisk, not slow
In order to find how much physical activity is needed to mitigate sitting time, the study’s researchers pooled individual participant data from four groups of people fitted with activity trackers (almost 12,000 total). It included participant data collected between 2003 and 2019 from Norway, Sweden and the United States.
After reviewing the data, the researchers found that 5,943 people spent fewer than 10.5 hours sitting down every day. And 6,042 clocked up 10.5 or more sedentary hours.
The data showed that being sedentary for more than 12 hours a day was associated with a 38 per cent heightened risk of death compared with a daily tally of eight hours. But it was only for those people who had fewer than 22 daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
“More than 22 daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity was associated with a lower risk of death,” the researchers stated.
For example, the study found that an extra 10 minutes a day was associated with a 15 per cent lower risk of death in those spending fewer than 10.5 sedentary hours, and a 35 per cent lower risk among those spending more than 10.5 sedentary hours, every day.
Light-intensity activities, like going on a slow walk, washing dishes, or making the best, were associated with a lower risk of death among highly sedentary people.
When it comes to how much an adult should move, McGavock said not to worry too much about the exact time of the exercise.
“If you’re only getting five minutes, try to get 10. If you’re only getting 10 minutes, try to get 15,” he said. “Regardless of your age or where you’re at, the more you move, the better.”
However, he added that if you are going for a walk, it should be “brisk” and not “slow.”
“You should be able to maybe talk to your friend while you’re walking, but you should feel like you’re a little bit out of breath,” he said.
In Western countries, adults spend an average of nine to 10 hours per day being sedentary, mostly during working hours, the researchers of the study said.
“As higher sedentary time is associated with higher risk of non-communicable diseases and mortality, preventive measures are important,” they said. “Efforts to promote physical activity may have substantial health benefits for individuals.”
The findings of the study add to prior evidence suggesting that brief periods of moderate to vigorous exercise can effectively counteract the significant health risks associated with prolonged sitting.
For example, in February 2023, in another study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers found that 11 minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity would be sufficient to lower the risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke and a number of cancers.
In Canada, 150 minutes per week, or 30 minutes on five days of the week, of aerobic exercise, like walking or riding a bicycle at a moderate to vigorous intensity, is recommended, according to guidelines from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP).
World Health Organization (WHO) 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour suggest adults aim for 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate physical activity. That amounts to around 21 to 42 minutes a day.
The WHO also recommended that adults do muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on two or more days a week, as these provide additional health benefits.
Examples of muscle-strengthening activities include push-ups, lifting weights, climbing stairs, or digging in the garden, according to Health Canada.
— with files from Global News’ Saba Aziz