Patients at risk of type 2 diabetes could cut their risk by taking just five minutes of "light movement" during periods of sitting, according to a study at Leicester University.
Researchers say their plan of movement could be an alternative to trying to get sedentary patients to take 150 minutes of exercise a week.
The findings come from a study in laboratory conditions – so it is not known how well the plan would work when patients were at home.
Some 22 overweight volunteers took part in the project.
Half of them spent the day sitting – except that every 30 minutes they stood up and stayed standing or walked around for five minutes. The other half simply spent the day of the study sitting.
Changes in insulin and blood glucose levels were measured after meals.
Researchers found that those who undertook light movement, even simply by standing, reduced the rise in blood glucose levels by 34% compared with uninterrupted sitting. It reduced the rise in insulin concentration by 20%.
The findings have been reported in the journal Diabetes Care.
Researcher Dr Joseph Henson said: “This study was a randomised controlled trial, which is one of the best ways to find out if an intervention has the effect you want. Breaking up prolonged sitting with five minute bouts of standing or walking at a self-perceived light intensity significantly reduced sugar and insulin responses in women at high risk of Type 2 diabetes.
“This simple, behavioural approach could inform future public health interventions aimed at improving the metabolic profile of women at a high risk of Type 2 diabetes.
"As standing and walking are behaviourally more common than moderate to vigorous physical activity these findings may provide appealing interventional targets in the promotion of metabolic health.”
Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting With Standing or Walking Attenuates the Postprandial Metabolic Response in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Acute Study 1 December 2015
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