Health UK (Commonwealth Union) – New research conducted by the University College London (UCL) and the University of Sydney, and supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), published in the European Heart Journal, has unveiled a tangible improvement in heart health with as little as a few minutes of moderate daily exercise, effectively replacing prolonged periods of sitting.
This groundbreaking study, the first of its kind within the international Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep (ProPASS) consortium, delves into the connection between heart health and various activity patterns throughout the entire 24-hour day. Cardiovascular disease, encompassing heart and circulatory conditions, stands as the leading global cause of mortality. In 2021 alone, it was responsible for one in three deaths (20.5 million), with coronary heart disease as the primary contributor. Since 1997, the number of individuals affected by cardiovascular disease worldwide has doubled and is anticipated to increase further as indicated by researchers of the study.
The research at UCL harnessed data from six different studies involving 15,246 participants from five countries. These individuals wore wearable devices on their thighs to monitor their activity levels throughout the entire day, while their heart health was concurrently assessed using six common indicators.
The study identified a hierarchy of behaviors that constitute a typical 24-hour day, with the greatest benefits to heart health derived from moderate-vigorous physical activity, followed by light activity, standing, as well as sleep, when contrasted to the detrimental effects of sedentary behavior.
To estimate the impact of various behavior replacements on heart health, the research team modeled scenarios where individuals changed certain behaviors for others on a daily basis over the course of a week. Surprisingly, replacing sedentary behavior with as little as five minutes of moderate-vigorous exercise led to a discernible enhancement in heart health.
For instance, in the case of a 54-year-old woman with an average BMI of 26.5, substituting 30 minutes of daily sitting or lying time with moderate or vigorous exercise resulted in a 0.64 reduction in BMI, equivalent to a 2.4% decrease. Similarly, this change could lead to a 2.5 cm (2.7%) reduction in waist circumference or a 1.33 mmol/mol (3.6%) decrease in glycated hemoglobin.
Dr Jo Blodgett, who is the first author of the study from UCL Surgery & Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health, says “The big takeaway from our research is that while small changes to how you move can have a positive effect on heart health, intensity of movement matters. The most beneficial change we observed was replacing sitting with moderate to vigorous activity – which could be a run, a brisk walk, or stair climbing – basically any activity that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe faster, even for a minute or two.”
The researchers emphasized that while engaging in vigorous activity is the swiftest route to enhancing heart health, there are opportunities for individuals of all fitness levels to reap the rewards. However, they pointed out that it’s essential to understand that the lower the intensity of the activity, the longer it takes to observe tangible improvements. For instance, transitioning from a sitting desk to a standing desk for a few hours daily represents a change that unfolds gradually over a more extended period. Still, it can be seamlessly integrated into one’s work routine, demanding no significant time commitment.
Additionally, the study revealed that those who are the least physically active stand to gain the most from transitioning from sedentary habits to more active ones.
Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, the joint senior author of the study from the Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health for the University of Sydney, says “A key novelty of the ProPASS consortium is the use of wearable devices that better differentiate between types of physical activity and posture, allowing us to estimate the health effects of even subtle variations with greater precision.”
