Street 5 Minutes Every Half Hours Sit, Minimizing Bad Effects On Health

Illustration of walking for health according to research (Freepik)

YOGYAKARTA Position sitting too long can be dangerous for health. So a lot of research explores what can minimize the bad effects of sitting too long. A study conducted by Columbia University recommends walking 5 minutes every half an hour sitting can reduce the harmful effects of sitting.

Keith Diaz, Ph.D., professor of behavioral medicine at the Vagelos College of Physics and Surgeons, tests five exercise snacks or motion and exercise to find solutions to the dangers of sitting too much. Among them include 1 minute of walking every 30 minutes sitting, 1 minute after 60 minutes, 5 minutes every 30 minutes, 5 minutes every 60 minutes, and not running at all.

"If we don't compare some options and vary the frequency and duration of the exercise, we will only be able to give our best guesses about the optimal routine to people," Diaz said.

There has been a lot of research concluding that sitting too long, as is done in the office, is harmful to health, even for those exercising regularly. Doctors advise adults to move more and sit less. In research conducted by Diaz and the team, participants sat on an ergonomic chair for 8 hours and woke up just a period of practice walking with a treadmill or going to the bathroom. This study ensures that each participant does not exercise excessively or lack exercise. The scale of blood pressure and blood sugar from participants is also measured.

When sitting, participants are allowed to work on laptops, read, and use cell phones during training sessions. Foods consumed are also standard. From this study, researchers reported that walking every 5 minutes every 30 minutes gives the best results. By running the duration in the study, it turned out to also reduce blood sugar spikes by up to 58 percent compared to sitting throughout the day.

But running every 60 minutes, either for 1 or 5 minutes, does not benefit. Each category of tests, all significantly reduces blood pressure by 4-5 mmHg compared to sitting throughout the day.

"This is a sizeable drop, comparable to the reduction you expect from exercising every day for six months," Diaz explained.

The five categories above, but do not affect cognition. Then experts say small changes may be needed including taking a walk of 5 minutes every half an hour. Or you can take 40 minutes of physical activity every 8 hours to reduce back problems, keep ligament muscles and joints loose, and help with stiffness.