Sitting too much can greatly impact our health. We’ve shared a variety of posts that highlight the importance of getting your steps in- from the overall impact to wellness, to how even 4,000 steps a day (as opposed to the often heard 10,000) can improve your health. New information sheds light that for people that are mostly sedentary- 11 or more hours a day- walking even 2,200 steps lowers their risk of heart disease and premature death.
On average, Americans sit for nearly half of their workday. That doesn’t include their commute or how many hours are spent sitting before and after the workday. It’s estimated that people that work office jobs sit an average of 15 hours a day total between their workday and home. Research backs it up- since the 1960s, the workplace landscape has drastically changed, and sedentary jobs have increased by 83%. According to the American Heart Association, physically active jobs now make up less than 20% of the U.S. workforce. All that sitting impacts our health more than many of us realize, but even small shifts can be made to counteract the effects.
Some benefits of regular physical activity include:
- helps maintain a healthy weight
- can improve blood pressure
- keeps diabetes at bay
- improves mental health
- helps our brain health
- can reduce inflammation
- benefits our sleep quality
- can lower the risk of fatty liver disease
- has been found to lower the risk of 13 types of cancers
- reduces pain levels
The latest study, published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed data from over 72,000 participants in UK Biobank, a major biomedical database created as part of a long-term research project. Participants wore trackers for a period of seven days to track their motion. The data revealed that while the average amount of steps taken by participants was roughly 6,200, the lowest 5% of participants averaged 2,200 steps daily.
The study concluded that between 9,000 and 10,500 steps a day cut the risk of early death by 39% and the risk of a heart attack or stroke by over 20%. Those that walked only 2,200 steps per day still achieved the benefit of lower risk of death and heart disease- regardless of their sedentary time. The more steps were taken, the greater the benefit, the researchers found.
“Our results indicate sedentary time did not significantly modify the dose-response association of daily steps,” concluded the research team led by Matthew Ahmadi, a postdoctoral research fellow with the University of Sydney in Australia.
An additional study found that power walking further reduces the risk of premature death and heart disease.
Published in JAVA Internal Medicine, the study provides encouragement for people that are unable to fit in the quantity of steps recommended to prevent against a variety of health concerns.
“People who cannot fit 10,000 steps in their daily routine could try 1–2 minute-long bursts of very fast or maximal pace during any normal walk from point A to B. Such bursts, repeated a few times daily, could potentially improve fitness and lower the risk of the long-term health outcomes we examined in our study.”
— Prof. Emmanuel Stamatakis (study senior author)
While even lower thresholds of activity proved to protect against heart disease and early mortality, the authors found that 9,800 daily steps could reduce dementia by 50%, and just 3,800 steps a day could lower dementia risk by 25%.
These studies only underscore what has long been known- the more active we are, the better. Work on shifting your day in the smallest of ways to get extra steps in. When unloading groceries from your car, carry fewer items (which will also protect against unnecessary strains!), so you make more trips. Park further away from your destination. Pace in your office or home. Every step counts.
-https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2796058
-https://nypost.com/2022/09/14/being-an-active-couch-potato-cancels-out-exercise-benefits/
-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31023430
-https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30370-1/fulltext
-https://nypost.com/2022/08/30/75-of-american-adults-are-failing-at-exercise-cdc-report/
-https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31023430/
-https://www.healthday.com/health-news/exercise-and-fitness/even-couch-potatoes-reap-health-reward-from-10000-steps-per-day
-https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/9900/Joint_Profiles_of_Sedentary_Time_and_Physical.86.aspx
-cancer.org/latest-news/sitting-time-linked-to-higher-risk-of-death-from-all-causes.html
-mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005
-nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/light-activity-may-lower-harmful-effects-sitting