Study: Just 20-25 Minutes of Daily Physical Activity Counters Sedentary Lifestyle, Reduces Mortality Risk

A sedentary lifestyle can significantly increase the risk of death, but a new study suggests that just 20 to 25 minutes of physical activity per day can counteract this risk. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the study found that regardless of the amount of time spent sitting down each day, engaging in more physical activity was associated with a lower mortality risk. Adults in affluent countries spend an average of nine to ten hours sitting down each day, primarily during work hours. The researchers emphasized that a severely sedentary lifestyle is linked to an increased chance of dying. Previous research has often relied on aggregated data, leading to a generalized approach. To overcome this, the researchers analyzed individual participant data from groups of people fitted with activity trackers. The data spanned from 2003 to 2019 and included over 12,000 people aged 50 and above. The analysis revealed that engaging in at least 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day was associated with a lower risk of death. The study also found that the association between sedentary time and mortality was largely influenced by the amount of physical activity performed. For example, an extra 10 minutes of physical activity per day was associated with a 15% lower risk of death in individuals spending fewer than 10.5 sedentary hours, and a 35% lower risk in those spending longer sedentary hours. Light-intensity physical activity was only associated with a lower risk of death among highly sedentary individuals. While this study is observational and cannot establish cause and effect, the researchers suggest that promoting physical activity can have significant health benefits and help counteract the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.