Exercise hack that takes just minutes and means you can then sit down all day

24 October 2023 , 22:31

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A small amount of daily exercise can offset hours as a couch potato (Image: Future via Getty Images)

Relax and turn on the TV... but first it might be best to fit in 22 minutes of exercise to undo the harms of sitting the rest of the day.

Brisk walking, housework or jogging could offset the impact of having an office job and watching the telly all night, a study of 12,000 over-50s found. People who sit for long periods but did not do this daily activity were more likely to die earlier. Author Edvard Sagelv, from the Arctic University of Norway, said: “We found that only those people doing more than 12 hours per day sitting had a higher risk of death.

“We are talking about any sitting behaviour such as being in the office or watching TV for long periods of time. Every minute higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) showed a lower risk of death. Doing 22 minutes eliminated the higher risk of death from sedentary time. And if doing more than 22 minutes per day there was a lower risk of death overall. Basically, the more the better.”

A vigorous walk can be beneficial, whatever the weather (Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)

The study backs up the UK chief medical officers’ recommendation that people aim for 150 minutes a week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Examples of moderate activity include very brisk walking at 4mph or faster, heavy cleaning such as washing windows or mopping, cycling at 10-12mph, or badminton.

Vigorous activity includes hiking, jogging at 6mph or faster, shovelling, fast cycling, a football game, basketball or tennis. Participants from Norway, Sweden and the US wore activity trackers which measured their MPVA. Some 5,943 people spent fewer than 10.5 hours sitting down every day while 6,042 spent 10.5 or more hours being sedentary. Over a five-year follow-up 805 of participants died.

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MPVA for 22 minutes each day offset the negative effects of being sedentary and eliminated the risk of dying early due to prolonged sitting down. The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, concluded: “Efforts to promote physical activity may have substantial health benefits for individuals and small amounts of MVPA may be an effective strategy.”

Regina Giblin, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Walking away from your screen at regular intervals, going for a walk or cooking a healthy meal from scratch are ways to incorporate active time. Being active can help you control your weight, reduce your blood pressure and improve your mental health.”

Martin Bagot