Anhembi 2022

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Exercise for three minutes, every half-hour

    Sitting for hours at a desk can disrupt our metabolic health, contributing over time to high blood sugar and high cholesterol, even in people who otherwise seem mostly healthy. A practical though small new study shows that standing up and moving every 30 minutes for about three minutes may lessen the health impacts of over-sitting. The study found that climbing several flights of stairs, jumping or squatting or even taking as few as 15 steps during these mini- -breaks improved aspects of blood sugar control among office workers, without noticeably interrupting their work flow.

    But the study, which involved 16 middle-aged, office workers at high risk for Type 2 diabetes, also indicates that these semi-hourly, three-minute breaks likely represent the minimum amount of movement needed to protect metabolic health. While 15 steps twice an hour may be a good start, they should not be the only steps we take toward reducing how much we sit.

For most of us, sitting is not just commonplace but constant. According to epidemiological studies, adults in the United States typically sit for about six and a half hours a day, with most of that time uninterrupted by standing or strolling. This postural lassitude likely accelerated during the pandemic. Preliminary data suggests that many of us are more inactive now than in 2019, especially if we have children and jobs.

    Such relentless sitting squashes metabolic health. Or, as the new study’s authors write, “Every waking hour spent in sedentary postures (that is, sitting or lying) increases risk for metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes.” The blame is on flaccid muscles. When we sit, the muscles in our legs, which are the largest in our body and are usually active and hungry, barely contract, so, require minimal fuel and slurp little sugar from our bloodstreams. They also do not release biochemical substances that would normally help break down fatty acids in the blood. So, when we hunch over our desks, blood sugar and cholesterol build up in our bloodstreams.

(Gretchen Reynolds. www.nytimes.com, 09.09.2021. Adaptado.)