A May 2021 study by Columbia University and an international team of researchers said,
"For decades, we've been telling people that the way to stay healthy is to get at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week,"
"But even if you're one of the few adults who can stick to this advice, 30 minutes represents just 2% of your entire day,”
"Is it really possible that our activity habits for just 2% of the day is all that matters when it comes to health?"
"What we don't know is the best combination, or cocktail, of ingredients needed to prolong life,"
The benefits depend on how you spend the rest of the day.
"In other words, it is not as simple as checking off that 'exercise' box on your to-do list,”
"A healthy movement profile requires more than 30 minutes of daily exercise. Moving around and not remaining sedentary all day also matters."
"Getting 30 minutes of physical activity per day, or 150 minutes per week, is what's currently recommended, but you still have the potential to undo all that good work if you sit too long,"
"Perhaps you're a parent with young kids and you simply can't get to the gym to exercise,”
"But you can still have a healthy movement profile as long as you move around a lot throughout the day as you tend to your everyday activities."
"While there will always be sitting in our lives, as with most things in life, it's about sitting in moderation. The key is to find the right balance of sedentary time and physical activity."
“A cocktail formula of 3 to 1 is best.”
“Three minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity or 12 minutes of light activity per hour of sitting was optimal for improving health and reducing the risk of early death.”
"Our new formula gets at the right balance between moderate-to-vigorous exercise and sitting to help people lead a longer, healthier life,"
"The leftover hours should be spent moving around as much as possible and getting a good night's sleep."
There are many options and combinations. For example:
“55 minutes of exercise, 4 hours of light physical activity, and 11 hours of sitting”
“13 minutes of exercise, 5.5 hours of light physical activity, and 10.3 hours of sitting”
“3 minutes of exercise, 6 hours of light physical activity, and 9.7 hours of sitting”
The study continued
"This is good news for people who may not have the time, ability, or desire to engage in formal exercise,”
"They can get health benefits from a lot of light physical activity and just a little moderate-to-vigorous activity."
"Our study shows that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to physical activity, and we get to choose which ones we like best,”
"It may be more important to mix a movement cocktail that includes a healthy dose of exercise and light activity to take the place of sitting."