How Long Do You Need to Exercise to Offset a Day of Sitting?

What research says about balancing the risks of sedentary behavior

By pathdoc

Find yourself sitting for countless hours a day? Perhaps you have a job that ties you to an office chair for hours on end. Working from home doesn’t help (at least for me), as now the walk to the breakroom or bathroom is mere steps away. Regardless of the numb feeling in your butt, we can do something to offset the negative consequences of sitting too long.

A metanalysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed nine studies from four countries that followed 44,000 participants for 14 years. Unlike previous studies that relied on self-reported data, these subjects wore activity trackers, like Fitbits.

During the course of these studies, 3,000 participants died. While dying subjects is never a good thing, the researchers were able to gain a lot of information about mortality and what could eventually mitigate risks to dying from conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular events, and other poor health outcomes.

Ultimately, they found good news for those who have no choice but to sit for hours on end. Thirty to forty minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day can help offset the risk factors associated with a sedentary lifestyle…