Despite regular exercise, you could be at risk of health problems
Do you think you move around enough to keep health problems at bay? Does it just include exercising for 30 minutes and prolonged sitting for the rest of the day? Then you might want to reconsider.
A group of Finnish researchers recently coined a term called 'active couch potato' for people who exercise daily and then sit down for the rest of the day.
This means sitting for long hours unfortunately cancels the health benefits you reaped during your workout session.
Also read: Reverse high cholesterol level with these natural tips
About the study
The study, published in “Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise,” involved over 3,700 men and women in Finland, who were asked to wear scientific-grade activity trackers for at least a week to assess their movements throughout the day.
It was found that people who exercised for 30 minutes daily, but then were sedentary between 10 to 12 hours a day had higher blood sugar, cholesterol and body fat levels compared to those who moved around more. These people were the study’s active couch potatoes
In opposition, those who got up and moved around even a little were said to be much more healthier than the active couch potatoes.
Exercising for 30 minutes a day isn't enough
According to Vahid Farrahi, a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Oulu and lead author of the new study, a single half an hour workout session may "not be enough” to do away with the side effects of prolonged sitting.
“It’s only in the last five years or so that we’ve begun to understand that physical activity isn’t the whole story,” Raija Korpelainen, a professor of health exercise at the University of Oulu in Finland and co-author of the new study, told the Washington Post.
Which category do you fall into?
At the end of the study, the researchers established four distinct groups of people, depending on how much they moved throughout the day.
1,173 of the participants were "active couch potatoes," 1,199 were "sedentary light movers," 694 were “sedentary exercisers” and 636 were "movers,"
Both active couch potatoes and sedentary light movers exercised for 30 minutes daily and sat down for the rest of the day. However, the sendendary light movers were 40% more active than the active couch potatoes.
Sedentary exercisers sat for long hours but indulged in an hour of daily exercise.
The movers on the other hand not only exercised for an hour, but they also indulged in two extra hours of movement during their daily chores.
After having compared all these groups, the researchers found that the active couch potatoes had the worst blood sugar control, body fat percentage and cholesterol levels.
How to reduce your risk?
Move! Move! Move!
In addition to your exercise, move lightly, even if it means going for a short stroll, taking a brisk walk or even just cleaning your house. Take the stairs, stroll in your corridors. According to the study, 80-90 minutes of light activity a day is ideal, however, "any additional movement should be beneficial,” Farrahi said.
The bottomline is that you should sit less and move more. Now it's on you how you want to achieve it. Do not strain yourself, but get as much movement in the body.