How much time should you spend sitting, sleeping, standing and exercising? Scientists respond

Spending a lot of time sitting is bad for your health. A growing body of evidence indicates that sitting still for a long time increases the risk of several health problems, including weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cancer and even early death. Furthermore, exercising regularly is essential for a healthy life. But how much time should you spend sitting, sleeping, standing and exercising each day? A study recently published in the scientific journal Diabetologia set out to answer this question.

Researchers at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, analyzed data from more than 2,300 volunteers, with an average age of 60. A quarter had type 2 diabetes. They monitored their activities for eight days using a small monitor placed on their thighs, calculating the total time each person spent sitting, standing and sleeping.

Factors that could distort the results, such as smoking history, education and diet, were also evaluated. The team then compared health markers between participants, including waist circumference and glucose and insulin levels.

The results showed that those with “optimal” markers spent “substantially” less time sitting, more time standing and “substantially more time being physically active.”

Those with type 2 diabetes and who had “ideal compositions on average” also favored higher levels of sleep time.

“Sedentary behavior is negatively associated with cardiometabolic health. Less sedentary time and more time participating in physical activity are associated with improvements in plasma glucose, insulin sensitivity, insulin levels, fat percentage, and triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels,” the researchers wrote.

Given this, the team suggests dividing the day as follows:

Spend at least five hours a day standing. Practicing vigorous physical exercise, such as working out at the gym or going for a brisk walk, should take up just over two hours a day. Light exercise, such as doing household chores or preparing dinner, should last another two hours and ten minutes.

When it comes to sleeping, eight hours and twenty minutes of eyes closed are essential. Regarding sitting, the recommendation is not to exceed six hours a day, a number much lower than the reality in many countries. However, the researchers emphasize that the benefits of these measures only appear if carried out regularly.

The researchers recognize that this is just “a recommendation” and that people’s use of time should be “realistic and balanced”. Remembering that international guidelines recommend practicing at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and strength exercises twice a week.

“Of course, moving as much as you can is always encouraged when so much of life requires us to sit in front of screens. Less time sitting and more time standing, doing physical activity and sleeping gives a big boost to our cardiometabolic health. ” said Christian Brakenridge, study author and expert in exercise physiology at Swinburne University of Technology.