A new study led by Dr. Jo Blodgett, a research fellow at University College London’s Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health, highlights the detrimental effects of sitting on heart health. The research, funded by the British Heart Foundation, underscores that even minimal changes in physical activity can significantly impact cardiovascular well-being. Blodgett emphasized the importance of replacing sitting with moderate to vigorous activities, such as running, brisk walking, or stair climbing, to benefit heart health.
The study also found that standing and sleeping are more beneficial for heart health than sitting. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death globally, with the number of individuals living with heart disease having doubled since 1997. The research aims to demonstrate how minor adjustments in daily routines can reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes.
James Leiper, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, commented on the study, stating that even a few minutes of replacing sedentary behavior with moderate activity could improve BMI, cholesterol, waist size, and other physical aspects. The research involved data from six studies with over 15,000 participants from five countries. Participants used wearable devices to track their daily activities and had their heart health assessed through six common indicators.
The study established a hierarchy of daily behaviors, ranking time spent on moderate-vigorous activities as most beneficial for heart health, followed by light activities including standing and sleeping, with sitting at the bottom. The findings indicated that even five minutes of moderate-vigorous activity can have a noticeable effect on heart health, especially for those who are least active.
The study, published on November 10 in the European Heart Journal, encourages incorporating simple “activity snacks” into daily routines, such as walking during phone calls or doing star jumps every hour, to help foster a habit of a healthy, active lifestyle.
For more information on the relationship between sitting and heart health, resources are available at Johns Hopkins.
