Under 30-minute workout could slash risk of dying from sedentary lifestyle

11 January 2024 , 11:03

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Just 25-minutes of physical activity daily could lower death risk (Image: Getty Images)

The fourth anniversary of the Covid-19 lockdown will be marked in March, but nearly 30 per cent of Brits are still working remotely - which means a sedentary lifestyle for many.

This describes a routine that involves little or no physical movement or exercise, which can increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and early death, warns the NHS. The health body explains that inactivity is thought to slow the metabolism, which affects the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat.

Adults spend around nine hours a day sitting, which includes working at a desk, watching TV and travelling. Fortunately, a recent study has suggested that just 25-minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) every day could slash the heightened risk of death linked to a sedentary lifestyle.

The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, explored whether exercise could affect the connection between sedentary time and mortality. As part of the study, scientists aggregated individual data from four groups equipped with activity trackers.

They observed data from around 12,000 individuals aged 50 and above, each with a minimum of four days of 10 daily hours of activity tracker records. Participants were observed for a minimum of two years, offering insights into potentially influential factors such as sex, education level, weight, height, smoking history, alcohol intake, and current/previous cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes status.

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Across the sample, around 5,950 spent less than 10.5 hours sitting daily, while 6,042 would be sedentary for 10.5 hours or more. Data obtained from the death registry showed that 805 (seven per cent) of people died over an average five-year span.

Among them, 357 (six per cent) spent less than 10.5 hours sitting daily, while 448 accumulated 10.5 hours or more. The results showed that being inactive for more than 12-hours a day correlated with a 38 per cent increased risk of death compared to those with a daily sitting time of eight hours.

The scientists pointed out that this trend was observed specifically among participants who reported less than 22-minutes of daily MVPA. The research suggests that taking part in more than 22-minutes of daily physical activity correlates with a lowered risk of mortality.

What’s more, higher amounts of MVPA was linked to a further decrease in risk, regardless of daily sitting time. Therefore, an additional 10-minutes of daily activity was connected to a 15 per cent lower risk of death for those spending less than 10.5 sedentary hours.

For those with more than 10.5 sedentary hours daily, this extended workout duration was linked to a substantial 35 per cent lower risk. It’s important to note that the observational study was unable to determine a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

The researchers concluded: "Small amounts of MVPA may be an effective strategy to ameliorate the mortality risk from high sedentary time, where accumulating more than 22-minutes of MVPA eliminates the risk of high sedentary time. Efforts to promote physical activity may have substantial health benefits for individuals."

Freya Hodgson