Prolonged sitting is dangerous and carries serious health risks, such as an increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes, heart problems, or depression. A study from San Diego State University (USA) has found that staying active with light-intensity everyday tasks could significantly reduce the risk of suffering a cerebrovascular accident, such as a stroke.
These tasks are as simple as vacuuming, sweeping the floor, washing the car, stretching or walking, explained Steven Hooker, principal investigator of the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends practicing at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity per week, this could help offset the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, especially in people who work many hours sitting down.
The tests to reach these conclusions have been carried out on 7,600 people aged 45 or over in which the time they were sedentary and the duration and intensity of the physical activities they practiced were measured. The results were compared to the incidence of stroke in the participants over a seven-year period.
Less sedentary lifestyle to take care of cardiovascular health
The most sedentary people, who spent 13 hours or more a day sitting, were found to have a 44% increased risk of having a stroke. “The findings are more powerful because activity and sedentary behaviors were measured with an accelerometer, which provided substantially more accurate data than previous studies that relied on self-report measures,” explains Hooker.
Encourage people to get out of their seats and do even just 10 minutes of light to moderate exercise several times a day
The researchers warn that only 23% of American adults get enough weekly exercise, and that most of them spend more than 12 hours sitting a day, a fact that is very worrying. For this reason, they clarify that if it is difficult for people to comply with the recommended 10,000 daily steps or to meet the objectives of their smart watch, it is enough to do daily tasks to protect health.
The thing is simple, they explain, we must encourage people to get up from their seats and do even just 10 minutes of light or moderate exercise several times a day, so they could reduce the risk of suffering a stroke. Hooker concludes with a key phrase “for overall heart and brain health, move more within your capacity and sit less”.
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