At the risk of sounding cliché, you’d have to have been living under a rock not to have heard that a sedentary lifestyle isn’t very good for a human being. Sitting all the time results in:
Increased cardiovascular disease risk
Metabolic dysfunction - meaning the pancreas is struggling with insulin production because the mitochondria in the muscles aren’t functioning as well as they could due to underuse
Negative all-cause mortality (translation: dying younger)
I think we can all agree that’s less than desirable.
When I hear most fitness professionals talk about this problem they’ll talk about it like it’s a choice. As if everyone is just choosing to be lazy all the time. I think that misses some major marks about the way our social structures influence behavior.
First, if you didn’t know: I don’t think laziness exists:
Many of us have jobs that require is to be glued to the keyboard for hours at a time. Back to back meetings, clients, Zoom calls, and output expectations. Sure, standing desks might help - but many of us don’t have choices about our work environment either.
Okay… so we work out.
But there’s also research that shows that those who get up and work out first thing, then sit all day still have the adverse health outcomes from the sitting.
Oof. Then what are we to do?
Enter: Movement Snacks
Movement Snacks are essentially breaks that have movement.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Maybe even some advice that your grandma might give you: get up from your desk and go for a walk! It’s good for you. (Who are we to argue with grandma?!)
But how often is frequent enough?
For how long?
At what intensity is good enough to make a difference?
Fortunately, recent science has some answers!
A recent study published earlier this year from scientists at Columbia University and Mount Sinai has given us the first blush at meaningful guidelines.
The study is titled “Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting to Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: Dose-Response Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial” - - meaning the study focused on different combinations of sitting and walking around to measure the effects on the subject’s heart and metabolism. (Yay! Science is neat!)
You can check out a deep dive into the science in the episode linked above, but let’s take a look at the main results of this small scale study:
Everyone who got up from their desk, even for only 1 minute per hour, showed improvements in their blood pressure
When study subjects got up for 5 minutes of light walking every 30 minutes:
Better blood pressure
Better blood sugar response AT DINNER that night (wow!)
Rated themselves as being less tired and more productive
They were in a better mood
While this study focused on cardiovascular and metabolic health - if you read the study you’ll see these bonus results. That the people who got up and walked around for just 5 minutes had a better mood, felt more productive, and less tired all day.
Big, Deep Thoughts About This
One source of discomfort and frustration I experience in my industry is the classism. Influencers need a way to make money and brands want to break big, so they push the idea that wellness and fitness are investments in ourselves.
I believe our foundational needs are part of our human rights.
Along those lines, getting people what they need doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. It starts with recognizing our needs and focusing on how to design lives that work for the human beings we are.
The example here is that when sedentary research came out dozens of standing desk models flooded the market. Some thousands of dollars with hydraulic lifts. Grounding mats and textured floor tiles soon followed. Are those things bad? No. But they’re expensive, not accessible to everyone, and can even be harmful for some people like those with some illnesses or injuries.
This new research shows us that there’s a free way to shift the problem: 5 minute breaks every 30 minutes.
The challenge will be to structuring work that allows that down time so people can be people.
Loved the evidence about exercise snacks - very tangible!!