OSLO, Norway- A new study suggested that at least 11 minutes of exercise, like brisk walking, daily could help lessen the harmful effects of sitting for many hours.

The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine special issue last week. It was committed to the updated guidelines for physical activity released by the World Health Organization. It utilised data from tens of thousands of participants who had used activity monitors to track the number of their movements.

The researchers gathered data from nine modern studies which involved 50,000 men and women who wore accelerometres. The respondents were adults who lived in the United States or Europe.

From the collected and combined data, the researchers observed that most of the participants were middle-aged and older adults from the United States or Europe. From the collected and combined data from the said studies, the researchers observed that most of the participants sat for around 10 hours per day, hardly moved, and would exercise moderately, normally by brisk walking for two to three minutes daily.

Brisk Walking Lessens Risks Linked to Hours of Sitting

Then, the researchers evaluated the death registries within a decade since the respondents joined the studies and began comparing lifespans and lifestyles.

Based on the result, the most inactive people faced a higher risk of early death. However, those people who would get up and move more had a reduced risk, even if their movements were not much.

If you are prone to sitting for a long time, especially now as you adhere to the pandemic restrictions, you should take heed of this recommendation. Many previous studies were able to prove that there could be a lot of long-term health effects from physical immobility.  Past studies also revealed the connection between sitting and death. They concluded that people who sit a lot all day are more likely to die younger than the active ones.

Ulf Ekelund, an epidemiology and physical activity professor at the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences and the leader of the study, suggested that if you sit all day, you need to get up and move too. He advised brisk walking as one of the best moderate exercises and could help extend longevity.

The researchers concluded that moderate activities, like brisk walking, should be done at least 35 minutes a day. It can result in a remarkable statistical increase in life span, even if you spend a very long time sitting.