Five-minute walk every hour can mitigate sedentary risks

Five minutes of walking around every hour can mitigate the long-term harm of sitting for prolonged periods—1-12 hours a day for many adults in high-income countries—according to a study carried out under real world conditions and published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on Tuesday.

- Rhythma Kaul

The findings apply to India also, despite the country not being rich, with many people in white-collar jobs sitting for extended periods, with the inactivity being associated with several lifestyle diseases.

According to the study, five minutes every hour, also represents the best balance between effectiveness and feasibility.

In addition, these brief interludes boost mood, lessen fatigue, and don’t undermine work performance, the findings indicate, offering potential for a public health strategy and inclusion in physical activity guidelines, according to the researchers in the study titled “Evaluating movement breaks as a public health strategy to mitigate the harms of prolonged sitting: a large-scale pragmatic intervention”.