Simply standing or sleeping is better for your heart health than sitting, a new study has found

Replacing sitting with just a few minutes of moderate exercise a day can improve your heart health, according to a new study that found that even light activities like standing or sleeping are better than a sedentary lifestyle.

Posted in European Heart Journalthe study looks at how different movements affect heart health throughout the day.

“It is now widely known that a more active life is good for heart health. Our study adds a unique perspective by looking at the whole 24-hour day and provides new insights into the hierarchy of everyday behaviour,” Dr Jo Blodgett, first author of the study and research fellow at the Institute of Sport at University College London (UCL). , Exercise and Health, told Euronews Next.

“The best activity you can do for your heart is moderate-vigorous activity, followed by three common daily activities: lighter activity, standing and sleep, with sedentary behavior being the most damaging,” she added.

Researchers from UCL and the University of Sydney analyzed data from six studies of more than 15,000 participants from five countries. Participants wore a device on their hip to measure activity throughout the day.

Moderate to vigorous activity provided the most heart-healthy benefits, the study found, with as little as five minutes having a noticeable effect.

This was followed by light-intensity activity and then by standing and sleeping compared to sitting. However, the lower the intensity of the activity, the longer it takes for benefits to occur.

Blodgett said, for example, that there were clear benefits of replacing sitting with sleep on BMI and waist circumference, but minor effects on cholesterol, triglycerides (a type of fat) or blood sugar levels.

“We believe that the benefits of sleeping over sitting for heart health are primarily a result of the negative impact of sitting on obesity due to other indirect factors that lead to weight gain.” [such as] eating while watching TV,” she said.

Overall, replacing 30 minutes of sitting, standing, sleeping or light physical activity with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity led to a reduction in body mass index (BMI), the researchers found.

A greater proportion of time spent sitting is associated with a higher BMI.

The researchers highlighted some promising “occupation-based interventions,” such as using a standing desk or active commuting, such as biking to work.

“Our study highlights that replacing sedentary behavior with any other behavior can be beneficial,” Blodgett said.

“Higher intensity activity – such as running or cycling – is optimal, but if this is not possible, benefits can still be achieved when replacing sedentary behavior with lighter activities such as walking, moving, standing or even falling asleep a little earlier.”

Physical activity reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke

People who were least active benefited the most from changing their behavior.

“We already know that exercise can have real benefits for your cardiovascular health and this encouraging research shows that small adjustments to your everyday life can reduce your chances of having a heart attack or stroke,” said James Leiper, associate medical director at British Heart Foundation, which funded the research.

“This study shows that replacing even a few minutes of sitting with a few minutes of moderate activity can improve your BMI, cholesterol, waist size and have many more physical benefits,” he added in a statement.

Although the study does not prove a causal relationship between activity and heart health, it adds to the growing body of research linking physical activity to improved cardiovascular health.

Another University of Sydney study published in July found that just 4.5 minutes of vigorous physical activity each day can help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity or at least 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activity.

Cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, are currently the leading cause of death worldwide, resulting in approximately 17.9 million deaths annually.

Risk factors include an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, tobacco use and harmful alcohol use, according to the WHO.

The researchers said this new study could help look at a range of behaviors to provide people with personalized recommendations to become more active.