Want a healthy heart? Sit less, sleep more
We’ve all heard that sitting too much may send us to an early grave. We know that we have to get up from our chair or couch and go walking, running, cycling, swimming or whatever else we enjoy doing – as long as we’re moving. According to a study published in the ‘European Heart Journal’(opens in new window), there’s a much less strenuous activity that could help. Findings show that any activity is better for your heart health than sitting all day, even sleeping. A research team from University College London (UCL) and Australia’s University of Sydney analysed data from six studies involving over 15 200 participants from Australia, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Participants wore devices to record their physical activity throughout the day.
Don’t snooze on activity intensity
The results revealed that moderate to vigorous activity benefits heart health most, followed by light activity, such as standing and sleeping. Even five minutes had a noticeable effect. Swapping 30 minutes of sitting, standing, sleeping or light physical activity for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity led to a reduction in body mass index. Replacing 30 minutes of sitting with 30 minutes of sleeping daily lowered overall body mass by nearly 0.5 kg and shed about 1.75 cm from waistlines. “Our study adds a unique perspective by considering the whole 24-hour day and provides new insights into a hierarchy of daily behaviours,” first author Dr Joanna Blodgett, research fellow at UCL Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, told ‘Euronews Next’(opens in new window). “We believe that the benefits of sleep over sitting for heart health are primarily a result of the negative impact of sitting on obesity due to other indirect factors that lead to weight gain [such as] snacking while watching TV.”
Every move counts
“The big takeaway from our research is that while small changes to how you move can have a positive effect on heart health, intensity of movement matters,” she explained in a UCL news item(opens in new window). “The most beneficial change we observed was replacing sitting with moderate to vigorous activity – which could be a run, a brisk walk, or stair climbing – basically any activity that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe faster, even for a minute or two.” The research will ultimately result in tailor-made recommendations to get people more active in ways that suit them. “Getting active isn’t always easy, and it’s important to make changes that you can stick to in the long-term and that you enjoy,” added James Leiper, professor of cardiovascular and metabolic health at the University of Glasgow. “Incorporating ‘activity snacks’ such as walking while taking phone calls, or setting an alarm to get up and do some star jumps every hour is a great way to start building activity into your day, to get you in the habit of living a healthy, active lifestyle.”