Here’s How Much Exercise You Need To Offset Hours Of Sitting
Let’s face it, if you have an office setting type of job, you are doing a lot of sitting. Perhaps as long as eight hours a day, and we all…
Serious woman cover her face after stressed with credit card debt sit at workplace desk in office use calculator calculates monthly expenses.
Let's face it, if you have an office setting type of job, you are doing a lot of sitting. Perhaps as long as eight hours a day, and we all know by now that is playing havoc on your health and wellness. Let alone what it means to your longevity.
It probably does not come to you as a surprise. We have been told for most of our lives to move it, or lose it. That was something we always associated with extracurricular movement. Now we know that our day jobs could be killing us.
The sheer amount of sitting that the average American does in 2025 is astounding when compared to 100 years ago. In 1925 more than 50% of the country lived in a rural areas and worked mostly outdoors. At that time farming was by far the number one occupation and source of income and yes, exercise.
Taking a seat and paying the price
As the country moved away from the small towns, and into the big cities, and into high rises and office environments, sitting on the job became more prevalent. For evidence of what it has done to our society in general, all you need to do is look at pictures or film of Americans from that time. You will see that we were a lot thinner overall and that probably meant they were much healthier, unless of course you were a smoker.
The skinny on too much sitting
Research suggests that engaging in 30 to 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity daily can counteract the negative health effects of prolonged sitting. A meta-analysis study, involving 44,370 individuals from four countries wearing fitness trackers, found that the risk of death increased with decreased physical activity. The study aligns with the 2020 WHO guidelines recommending 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity weekly. Activities like walking, cycling, and household chores can contribute to overall health. While gaps in knowledge persist, ongoing research aims to provide more insights into maintaining health while spending extended periods sitting. (Sciencealert)
