Prolonged Sitting Increases Risk of Dementia and Cancer! Walk for 5 Minutes Every Half Hour for Immediate Benefits

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To reduce the health risks posed by prolonged sitting, get up and walk for five minutes every half hour! This is the sincere recommendation of Keith Diaz, Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University, backed by empirical evidence published in the journal Sports Medicine and Exercise Science. Recently, he shared his findings with the public on the knowledge-sharing platform The Conversation.

The Study

We recruited 11 healthy middle-aged and elderly volunteers to sit for eight hours in a lab, simulating a typical workday for office workers, over the course of five days. On one of the days, the participants sat for the full eight hours, only getting up briefly to use the restroom. On the other days, we tested different ways to interrupt their sedentary behavior. For example, on one day, participants walked for one minute every half hour; on another day, they walked for five minutes every hour.

Our goal was to find the least demanding method to offset the negative effects of prolonged sitting. We specifically measured changes in the participants' blood sugar and blood pressure, two major risk factors for heart disease. Here's what we found:

1. Lower Blood Sugar: Compared to sitting all day, walking for five minutes every half hour was the only method that significantly reduced blood sugar. In particular, walking every half hour reduced post-meal blood sugar spikes by nearly 60%.
2. Lower Blood Pressure: Additionally, this method lowered blood pressure by 4–5%, compared to sitting all day. Even shorter or less frequent walks improved blood pressure. Walking for just one minute every hour reduced blood pressure by 5%.
3. Reduced Fatigue and Improved Mood: Besides the physical health benefits, walking breaks were also beneficial for mental health. Using a survey to rate their mental state, participants reported feeling less fatigued and in better spirits when walking every half hour, which also made them feel more energized. Even walking every hour was enough to improve mood and reduce fatigue.

Why Is This Important?

People who sit for several hours every day are at a much higher risk of developing conditions like diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and several types of cancer, compared to those who stay active throughout the day.

A sedentary lifestyle also increases the risk of early death. Merely exercising daily may not be enough to reverse the harmful effects of prolonged sitting.

A Public Health Concern

Due to technological advancements, the amount of time adults in industrialized countries like the U.S. spend sitting has steadily increased over the past decades. Nowadays, many adults spend most of their time sitting, and this issue has only worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic. With more people working remotely, individuals are less likely to venture outdoors. It's clear that strategies must be developed to address this growing 21st-century public health issue.

Current guidelines recommend that adults "sit less and move more." However, these suggestions lack specific advice on how often or how long people should move.

Our research provides a simple and actionable method: walk for five minutes every half hour. If your work or lifestyle requires long periods of sitting, this simple behavior change may help reduce the health risks of prolonged sitting.

Our study also offers employers clear guidance on how to create a healthier workplace. While it might seem counterintuitive, regular walking breaks can actually help employees increase productivity compared to working nonstop without a break.

What’s Next

Our research focused mainly on frequent, light walking. Some walking strategies, like walking for one minute every hour, did not lower blood sugar. We don't yet know if faster walking would provide similar health benefits under these same conditions.

Currently, we are testing over 25 different methods to counteract the health harms of prolonged sitting. Many adults, such as truck drivers or taxi drivers, are unlikely to be able to walk every half hour due to the nature of their work.

Therefore, finding alternative methods that yield similar benefits could provide the public with several different options, ultimately allowing individuals to choose the method that best fits their work and lifestyle.