Taking frequent breaks from sitting can help office workers keep trim and healthy, researchers say today.
The findings will come as a relief to workers troubled by findings yesterday showing that hours spent in front of computer screens massively increase risk of heart disease.
The new research suggests that the frequency of light exercise is important in reducing a person’s risk of heart disease.
It also shows that regular breaks from sitting help keep the waist slim.
The research found that it is not just the duration of physical activity, but also the number of occasions a person moves, even for just a minute.
Dr Genevieve Healy of the University of Queensland, Australia, and colleagues carried out study on 4,757 adults to look at the effects of exercise on risk factors for heart disease, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, and inflammatory processes that play a role in atherosclerosis (blocked arteries).
Results appear in the European Heart Journal. They indicate that prolonged periods of sedentary time, even in people who also take part in moderate-to-vigorous exercise, were linked to risk factors such as larger waist circumferences, lower levels of HDL (beneficial) cholesterol, higher levels of C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) and triglycerides (blood fats).
On the other hand, people who spent a long time sitting down but took more breaks had smaller waist circumferences and the lower the levels of C-reactive protein.
Dr Healy said: "Overall, for length of sedentary time, the most clinically significant findings were for blood fats and markers of insulin resistance. For the number of breaks in sedentary time, the most significant differences were observed for waist circumference.
"The potential adverse health impact of prolonged sitting (which is something that we do on average for more than half of our day), is only just being realised."
Amy Thompson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, added: "This American study was a very interesting read and adds to well established evidence that long periods of inactivity are not good for the heart."
Healy, G. et al. Sedentary time and cardio-metabolic biomarkers in US adults: NHANES 2003-06. The European Heart Journal, published online January 12, 2011.
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