22 minutes of physical exercise per day can offset the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle. health and wellness

It’s no secret: We live in a sedentary society. According to 2020 data from the Ministry of Health, 36.4% of the Spanish population over the age of 15 admit to not exercising and spending their free time sedentary. The latest Eurobarometer on sport and physical activity, from 2022, increases that figure to 47%. This data of free time is added to increasingly sedentary jobs, with a large portion of the population spending between seven and ten hours a day sitting in front of a computer screen. The Spanish Society of Obesity (SEEDO) estimates that a sedentary person increases the expenses of the public health system by 26% and the impact of these figures of a sedentary lifestyle, which is related to development, is estimated at about 1,560 million euros per year. Puts. A myriad of diseases impact the Spanish health system.

A recent study, published in British Journal of Sports Medicine Based on data from approximately 12,000 participants over the age of 50 from Norway, Sweden and the United States, it was concluded that just 22 minutes a day of moderate exercise (brisk walking, cycling or doing intensive cleaning tasks) or Vigorous exercise (jogging, playing soccer or tennis, or cycling at a higher intensity) can help offset the negative health effects of a sedentary lifestyle and reduce the risk of mortality from any cause.

“Our study indicates that sedentary time is not associated with a higher risk of mortality among participants who performed at least 20-25 minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity,” said Professor Edward Sagelv, lead author of the research. telling. Sports Science and Health Sciences from the Arctic University of Norway, who highlight that the results show that these 22 minutes of activity do not have to be done continuously, but can be divided into different episodes or bursts. The latter would confirm the results of another study published in the European Heart Journal a year earlier, which concluded that just one minute of intense exercise during a daily routine (carrying groceries home from the supermarket, walking at a brisk pace) Was increased. for example, running to work or climbing stairs) can have a greater impact on the health of more sedentary people.

“The results of this study match the recommendations that the clinical practice guidelines of the main scientific societies of cardiology have long made, which is about 30 minutes of moderate exercise for five days (150 minutes per week) Recommends: Or 15 minutes per day, 5 days a week, of more intense physical exercise, says Manuel Anguita, cardiologist at the Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba and member of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC).

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Spain. Among them, which, as experts believe, are difficult to specify, sedentary lifestyle plays an essential role. “Exercise has two benefits at the cardiovascular level. A direct one, through the exercise itself, as it has anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects, improves the performance and efficiency of myocardial cells, reduces heart rate, etc.; And second indirectly, because exercise improves other cardiovascular risk factors. What percentage of heart diseases could be avoided in a less sedentary society? It’s hard to know, but I think it’s a very significant percentage, at least between a quarter and a third,” he reflects.

César A., ​​head of the section of the Medical Oncology Service of the University Clinical Hospital of Salamanca and for the last few months president of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM). Rodriguez also has the same opinion. “We already had results from previous studies about a positive reduction in cancer mortality due to physical exercise, but this study adds some points of originality in the design: there are many patients, it measures exercise with portable devices. And, although it is true that the follow-up is short, just five years, this suggests that the duration of physical exercise does not need to be very long, but rather it needs to be of minimal intensity to have an effect on health.” Tells.

Cancer is the second cause of death in Spain and the first among men. Although it is hard to specify what effect physical exercise has on its development and prognosis, Rodriguez says it is clear that poor lifestyle habits (sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and alcohol and tobacco consumption) account for about a third. Are related to cancer. Deaths. “Intervening on each of these factors individually, we know, reduces the risk of death. It is true that not all tumors have the same level of evidence, but in some tumors, such as breast cancer, this association is very well documented,” he adds.

The longer and more intensity, the better.

The president of SEOM says that these results, although encouraging, may cause them to be “misread”: “22 minutes is the minimum time after which, according to the study, the effects of a sedentary lifestyle can be offset “But it’s best to lead a sedentary life as little as possible. The more exercise, the better.”

Thus, recalls Manuel Anguita, this was also confirmed by another investigation published a few months ago European Journal of Preventive Cardiology ,In which the relationship between the daily steps taken by people and the risk of death was analyzed. The researchers found that walking 4,000 steps a day (far from the 10,000 recommended by WHO) reduced the risk of death from any cause. “4,000 steps, that’s 22 minutes, already showed a benefit in terms of mortality, but for every 1,000 daily steps above that figure the risk of death decreased by 15%. That is to say, the more, the better, although the minimum level at which benefits can already be achieved to compensate for a sedentary lifestyle is 20 minutes,” he argues.

This relationship was also seen in a study led by Edward Sagelv, in which the effect of long-term moderate or intense physical exercise on reducing mortality risk was greater than the effect obtained with shorter periods of sedentary lifestyle. In fact, the researchers point out, higher levels of physical activity were linked with a lower risk of mortality regardless of sedentary time in the study. And the same applies to the intensity of physical activity. The Norwegian professor points out that, although there were not many citizens in the study who did vigorous activity, other recent research indicates that greater intensity of exercise has a greater impact on health.

“The more intense the activity, the better; And the more minutes, the better. However, it is worth remembering that even moderate intensity and limited time of 20 minutes is very beneficial for health,” emphasizes Sagelev, who believes that the authorities should create “positive incentives” so that people are physically active in the morning. to be active in everyday life, such as providing access to safe walking spaces, safe cycle lanes and green spaces such as parks.” These are all public health measures that have been shown to be effective in increasing the physical activity levels of the population ,” he advises.

Caesar A. Rodríguez, for his part, thinks that these results can motivate and encourage the practice of exercise, both in people who complain of not having time and in those who are sedentary because they do not like to do physical activities. “If for whatever reason you can’t find time to do some regular physical activity, if you live in a third-floor apartment and have to walk home four times, do so by using the stairs; Or if you have to walk to a place 20 minutes away, don’t go for a walk, go at a good pace. We should take advantage of these situations of everyday life and turn them into physical exercise,” he concluded.

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