How much exercise will make up for 10 or more hours of sitting? | Resource | Baptist Health in South Florida (2023)

FAQs

Does standing for 10 hours count as exercise? ›

Standing doesn't count as exercise, and, unlike running or cycling, there is there is no evidence that simply standing at work improves cardiovascular health. In fact, the latest science suggests a lack of exercise, not sitting at work, might be the bigger health problem overall.

Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. They include obesity and a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels — that make up metabolic syndrome.

The study goes on to recommend that those who sit daily for an average of eight hours should try to exercise one hour per day, while those who sit 6 or less should aim for half an hour of exercise. “You don't need to do sport, you don't need to go to the gym.

Even if you are doing enough physical activity, sitting for more than 7 to 10 hours a day is bad for your health. There is evidence that spending a lot of time being sedentary is linked to an increase in health problems such as: being overweight or obese.

But is standing alone enough? The MET of standing is only slightly above what is considered sedentary activity by the SBRN. A study measuring the effects of standing showed that passive standing alone does not significantly increase heart rate and energy expenditure above rest.

But this new research suggests that standing may be an effective form of exercise to add to this mix. Why is standing good for you? Researchers think it's because standing exercises muscles in your abdomen, butt and legs that are necessary to keep you upright for an extended period.

An analysis of nine previous studies has concluded that 30 to 40 minutes per day of "moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity" is a good remedy for sitting for 10 hours or more daily.

As you get older, it takes longer to recover from a sedentary state. That said, Dr. Correlius says will take about eight to 10 weeks of consistent workouts to reverse the deconditioning.

But when you are sitting down for long periods, try to break it up. A common sense rule of thumb is to get up for five minutes every half hour.”

Walking. Walk, walk, and walk some more. Walking is great for you, and it's an ideal type of movement to offset sitting, so take the opportunity whenever you can. Many people can greatly increase the incidental physical activity they accumulate throughout the week just by making small tweaks in their daily routine.

Is it OK to sit for 12 hours? ›

"Sitting increases your risk of death, regardless of whether you exercise or not. If you sat for over 12 hours on a given day, your risk of death increased substantially," study author, Dr. Keith Diaz at Columbia University Medical Center said. Dr.

“Sitting all day will make the front of your body tighten up—especially your hip flexors, rectus femoris (a quad muscle), pectoralis (chest), upper traps (upper back), and anterior scalenes (the front of your neck),” explains David Reavy, a Chicago-based orthopedic physical therapist at React Physical Therapy.

To reduce the harmful health effects of sitting, take a five-minute light walk every half-hour. That's the key finding of a new study that my colleagues and I published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

But when experts analyze the handfuls of studies examining the effects of prolonged sitting, the data shows that sitting for more than eight hours a day can have a serious impact on a person's health.

More calories burned: One study showed that standing sheds 88 calories an hour, compared to 80 calories for sitting. Walking burns a lot more -- 210 calories an hour. Less back pain: Sitting for long periods of time tightens your muscles and can hurt your lower back, especially if you have bad posture.

Even those working out can spend most of their day sedentary, leading to impaired health and fitness.

While your body can become accustomed to the feeling of standing, that doesn't mean that it isn't straining your body. Be sensitive to your body's needs and know your limits.

Though standing definitely is a better habit than sitting, walking is better than standing. For an average adult, standing would burn about 190 calories in an hour while sitting would only burn 130 and would also contribute to fat storage. On the other hand, walking can burn up to 320 calories in the same time.

It strengthens leg muscles and improves balance. It burns more calories than sitting. It is also a great antidote to the formation of blood clots deep in the legs. When you sit for long periods, blood flow slows through the legs.

What should I eat if I sit all day? ›

Sit tall in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and palms on top of your thighs. From here, gently press your right palm down into your right thigh while pressing your thigh up into your palm. Press firmly enough that you feel your abs tighten. Hold for a few breaths, then release and repeat on the opposite side.

According to the research of pro bodybuilder Jeff Nippard, the timeframe to get your muscle gains back is typically around half the time you took off. So, if you had a 2-month break from lifting, it might take just a month to get all of your gains back.

Try to weave in ways to be active throughout you day, like walking and climbing stairs. Do body-weight workouts. You don't need a gym to exercise, instead use your own body weight as resistance for strength training.

Type: Aerobic exercise, such as walking (outside or on a treadmil) and biking (upright or recumbant bike with minimal resistance), is recommended for someone just beginning.

If a standing desk isn't an option, take five-minute breaks from sitting every 30 to 45 minutes. Stand up and walk around a bit. Maybe even perform a few of the exercises below. Even if you have a standing desk, you should still take breaks every now and then for some movement.

Can I Get Nerve Damage From Sitting Too Much? You won't feel the effects overnight, but the answer is yes. Sitting for long periods of time can slowly damage your nerves. In a recent study, researchers found that 70% of participants had lower physical activities today than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Standing and walking actually do very well to combat the many health concerns associated with sitting disease. If you alternate between sitting and standing for intervals of 30-minutes, you actually optimize your body for a better metabolic state, which encourages over all health and well being.

“Persons with uninterrupted sedentary bouts of 30 minutes or more had the highest risk for death if total sedentary time also exceeded 12.5 hours per day,” noted Alter.

Remember to move for approximately three minutes every 30 – 60 minutes. Why? Research shows that staying stationary – whether sitting or standing – for long periods of time, can be bad for your health. Our bodies are built to move and doing so for approximately three minutes every hour helps us feel our best.

Is it healthier to sit up or lay down? ›

Sleeping upright is neither inherently healthy nor unhealthy. As long as you're able to rest comfortably and get enough sleep, the upright position might be the best option. Some people live with medical conditions that make sitting up more comfortable for sleeping.

Weak Legs and Glutes

By sitting all day, you're not depending on your powerful lower body muscles to hold you up. This leads to muscle atrophy, which is the weakening of these muscles. Without strong leg and glute muscles to stabilize you, your body is at risk of injury.

Sit up with your back straight and your shoulders back. Your buttocks should touch the back of your chair. All 3 normal back curves should be present while sitting. You can use a small, rolled-up towel or a lumbar roll to help maintain the normal curves in your back.

30 Minutes of Exercise Can Significantly Improve Your Health

Yes, it is! Most people think that if they can only fit in 30 minutes of exercise it won't be enough, especially compared to a 45-minute spin class or a 1-hour yoga class. However, 30 minutes of exercise is more than enough time to get in a great workout.

It is not uncommon to feel 'wobbly' or unsteady on your feet after sitting for a long period. It can be due to reduced blood flow, tight muscles and ligaments, fluid pooled in the body's lower extremities, or pins and needles sensations in the feet.

Adults who sit 11 or more hours per day have a 40 percent increased risk of dying in the next 3 years, compared with those who sat for fewer than 4 hours a day, according to a study led by the University of Sydney. This was after taking into account their physical activity, weight and health status.

Over time, being stuck sitting in a bent position on a daily basis—from your desk at work to your couch at home—shortens your hip flexors, a group of muscles located at the front of your hips, causing pain. Tight hip flexors also contribute to lower back soreness, another common complaint.

Sitting upright in your chair, cross your right ankle over your left knee. Flex your right foot, and feel a stretch in your right glute and outer hip. If you don't feel a stretch, slowly hinge forward at your waist and lean into the right hip. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch sides.

Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. They include obesity and a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels — that make up metabolic syndrome.

And if you exercise regularly, over time you will gain even more fitness benefits. “At 6 to 8 weeks, you can definitely notice some changes,” said Logie, “and in 3 to 4 months you can do a pretty good overhaul to your health and fitness.”

Is it better to walk all day or sit all day? ›

If you stand or move around during the day, you have a lower risk of early death than if you sit at a desk. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, you have a higher chance of being overweight, developing type 2 diabetes or heart disease, and experiencing depression and anxiety.

Walk throughout your house or apartment often throughout the day. Sit in a chair or on the side of a bed and reach up toward the ceiling and down toward your toes. Make sure that you are breathing throughout the movement and moving slowly, without rushing. Repeat 10 times.

The research findings based on fitness trackers closely align with new World Health Organization guidelines, which recommend 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity, or 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity, every week to counter sedentary behavior.

Prolonged and frequent standing, without some relief by walking, causes blood to pool in the legs and feet. This pooling may progress over time to chronic and painful varicose veins and inflammation. Excessive standing also causes the joints in the spine, hips, knees, and feet to become temporarily immobilized.

The researchers found that standing burned 0.15 calories (kcals) per minute more than sitting. By substituting standing for sitting for six hours a day, a 143.3-pound adult would expend an extra 54 calories (kcals) in six hours.

One study showed that adults who weigh 143 pounds burn 0.15 more calories a minute when standing versus sitting. If you stand for six hours per day instead of sitting, you burn around 54 additional calories. While this may not seem like much, it adds up to five and a half pounds per year.

When you stand, you burn anywhere from 100 to 200 calories an hour. It all depends on your sex, age, height, and weight. Sitting, by comparison, only burns 60 to 130 calories an hour.

Standing is better for the back than sitting. It strengthens leg muscles and improves balance. It burns more calories than sitting. It is also a great antidote to the formation of blood clots deep in the legs.

How many calories should I eat if I sit all day? ›

Sedentary. For someone taking less than 5,000 steps per day, needs fall as low as 1,600 calories per day for a woman and 1,800 calories for a man.

Sit Up Straight

Plus, sitting up straight with your shoulder back and your abs tight—compared to slouching at your desk—requires engaging more muscles and can burn a few more calories.

Your body has to work hard to move blood and fluids up your legs and back to your heart when you're standing all day, as it must work against gravity. This can create problems with circulation, resulting in swelling and in the feet and legs, as well as varicose veins and other vein problems.

On average, a person will burn at least 1800 calories a day without exercise. To lose weight, you must be in a calorie deficit. Caffeine supplements can help you achieve this state by boosting your BMR to promote fat burning.

Being More Active Burns More Calories

Here is a comparison of different activities and how many calories a 170-pound (77 kilograms) person can burn in an hour. Standing burns more calories than sitting (186 calories vs. 139 calories). Walking at a moderate pace burns more calories than standing (324 calories vs.

As a group, the volunteers burned about 3 percent more calories when sitting compared to lying down and about 12 percent more standing compared to sitting.

Running is the winner for most calories burned per hour. Stationary bicycling, jogging, and swimming are excellent options as well. HIIT exercises are also great for burning calories. After a HIIT workout, your body will continue to burn calories for up to 24 hours.

As much as prolonged sitting is harmful to your heart, so is prolonged standing. When you stand for too long, your blood tends to pool in your legs, unable to properly circulate around the body. In effect, the veins have to work doubly hard to distribute the blood evenly to parts that need it.