Research shows that 1 in 4 Americans sit for more than 8 hours a day, 4 in 10 are physically inactive, and 1 in 10 fall into both categories. This is a problem for so many reasons: Sitting all day has been shown to increase your risk of heart disease and heart failure, cause impaired blood flow and circulation, lead to weight gain, and more. However, research suggests that one way to offset some of this risk is to do a quick and easy exercise throughout the day.
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Doing 10 bodyweight squats every 45 minutes could counteract sitting all day.
A study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports enlisted 18 overweight and obese men who were divided into four groups, all of whom sat for 8.5 hours each day:
- SIT: Uninterrupted sitting all day
- ONE: A single 30-minute walk a day
- WALK: 3-minute walks every 45 minutes
- SQUAT: 10 squats every 45 minutes
The purpose of the study was twofold: to understand the effects of short bouts of exercise versus one longer workout and to see the difference between muscular exercises (squats) and walking. The researchers examined how these interventions affected the body's ability to regulate blood sugar after eating.
This is important because high blood sugar can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and weight gain.
Both the WALK and SQUAT groups saw a 21 percent reduction in blood sugar spikes, nearly double that of the ONE group. However, experts say that the SQUAT group could also reap the benefits of muscle-building resistance exercises.
"Building new muscle increases the body's capacity to absorb and use glucose from the bloodstream, lowering blood sugar levels," registered dietitian Megan Koehn, who was not involved with the study, told Newsweek. "Additionally, strength training improves the efficiency of existing muscle cells, enhancing their ability to respond to insulin and use glucose for energy."
"Movements that engage lower body muscles are highly effective at lowering blood sugar and burning calories," she continued. "The muscles in our legs, glutes, and hips are the largest in the body but also among the most powerful. Their size and strength allow for greater calorie burn and glucose utilization during exercise. This is why they can make impactful changes in overall metabolism and energy expenditure."
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However, other research recommends a single bout of exercise.
Despite these findings, other research has pointed to the benefits of a single bout of daily exercise to counteract sitting.
A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine enlisted nearly 12,000 participants aged 50 and older. They found that those who sat for 12 or more hours a day had a 38 percent increased risk of mortality compared to those who sat for eight or fewer hours per day.
However, when individuals in the 12-hour+ group completed 22 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day, they offset their mortality risk factor.
As Best Lifepreviously explained, "If completed daily, this amount of exercise totals just over 150 minutes per week, fulfilling the physical activity quota recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."
What this means for you:
Research is split on whether short bursts of activity throughout the day or one concentrated workout is better to counteract sitting all day. One study recommends doing 10 bodyweight squats every 45 minutes, while another points toward a single 22-minute vigorous workout. However, the key takeaway is that any exercise is better than no exercise.
