From Inverse, November 14:
Sitting isn’t good for you. That’s abundantly clear from studies linking prolonged sedentary behavior — from working at a desk to Netflix binging on the couch — with a wide range of medical conditions from Type 2 diabetes to heart disease and even premature death.
But studies also show if you’ve racked up too many hours glued to one place, all is not lost. For instance, engaging in exercise “snacks” (aka micro-burts of physical activity) for a least five minutes every 30 minutes or so does your metabolism, heart, and mind good.
Now, according to a study published last week in the European Heart Journal, any sort of physical activity, including sleeping, is better than being flat on your tuchus. Examining data from six studies encompassing over 15,000 people across five countries, the researchers looked at which kinds of movement within a typical 24-hour day conferred the most heart health benefits. Unsurprisingly, moderate-vigorous physical activity came out on top, followed by light activity, which included standing and sleeping.
“The big takeaway from our research is that while small changes to how you move can have a positive effect on heart health, the intensity of movement matters,” Jo Blodgett, the study’s first author and a research fellow in the University College London’s Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, said in a press release.
“The most beneficial change we observed was replacing sitting with moderate to vigorous activity — which could be a run, a brisk walk, or stair climbing — basically any activity that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe faster, even for a minute or two.”Replacing sitting with exercise or sleep....
....MUCH MORE
Well there you go. From now on I'm not napping, I'm participating in lighter intensity activity.
