A recent Norwegian study suggests that engaging in 20 to 25 minutes of daily physical activity can help counter the increased risk of death associated with prolonged sitting, particularly during work hours. The research reveals that exceeding 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity is linked to a reduced risk of mortality.
In this study, nearly 12,000 participants aged 50 and above were tracked with activity monitors for at least two years. Of these, 5,943 individuals sat for less than 10.5 hours daily, while 6,042 sat for 10.5 hours or more each day. Over an average of 5 years, 7% of participants (805 people) passed away. This included 357 individuals who sat for less than 10.5 hours daily and 448 who sat for 10.5 hours or more each day.
The analysis showed that individuals with under 22 minutes of daily physical activity faced a 38% higher risk of death when sitting for over 12 hours daily compared to sitting for 8 hours. For those who sat for more than 10.5 hours a day, an extra 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity was linked to a 35% lower risk of death. Overall, this study highlights the potential benefits of incorporating even small amounts of daily physical activity to counteract the risks of prolonged sitting.