Sedentary lifestyle: Effects, solutions, and statistics
Most people living a sedentary lifestyle are unlikely to be meeting the national physical activity guidelines. According to the government’s 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should be getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.
A 2017 paper by the Sedentary Behavior Research Network (SBRN) defined sedentary behavior as any activity involving sitting, reclining, or lying down that has a very low energy expenditure. The measurement for energy expenditure is metabolic equivalents (METs), and the authors consider activities that expend 1.5 METs or less of energy to be sedentary.
Research suggests that only 21 percent of adults are meeting the physical activity guidelines, while less than 5 percent perform 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
Dangers of a sedentary lifestyle
Recent research is starting to confirm the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Studies have now consistently demonstrated that leading a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to:
- obesity
- type 2 diabetes
- some types of cancer
- cardiovascular disease
- early death
Extended periods of inactivity can reduce metabolism and impair the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels, regulate blood pressure, and break down fat.
One study analyzed data collected over 15 years and found that sedentary lifestyles were associated with an increased risk of early death regardless of physical activity levels.
This shows that it is essential to reduce the amount of time spent being sedentary in addition to doing more exercise.
Physical activity is important, but spending the majority of the day being sedentary is still dangerous.
People can reduce the amount of time they spend being sedentary by:
- standing rather than sitting on public transport
- walking to work
- taking walks during lunch breaks
- setting reminders to stand up every 30 minutes when working at a desk
- investing in a standing desk or asking the workplace to provide one
- taking a walk or standing up during coffee or tea breaks
- spending more time doing chores around the house, especially DIY or gardening
- making excuses to leave the office or move around the building
- taking phone calls outside and walking around at the same time
- spending some free time being active rather than watching television or playing video games
- getting up and walking around during television commercials
- taking the stairs instead of using the elevator
Takeaway
Research has linked a sedentary lifestyle to severe health conditions.
Many people do not meet the minimum physical activity guidelines and are at risk of developing health issues from spending too much time being sedentary.
People can reduce the risks of a sedentary lifestyle by increasing the amount of physical activity that they do and using the techniques above to reduce the time they spend being sedentary.
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