How much exercise is needed to offset the health risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle?

(Ekelund et al., 2020)

The risk of death was higher in people with higher sedentary time (low physical activity) & lower moderate to vigorous activity (exercise).

Note: Physical Activity refers to all the daily life movement that isn’t deliberate exercise.
Ex: walking, sweeping, fidgeting, washing dishes, gardening, playing with kids/pets etc.

People with higher physical activity & the lowest sedentary time had the lowest risk.

People with lower physical activity & relatively higher exercise activity (30-40 mins) per day had a lower risk than people with lower physical activity and lower exercise time but higher risk than higher physical activity and lower sedentary time.

Key Takeaways:
*The increased health risk comes from being sedentary/inactive (8.5-10.5 hours per day except sleeping time) can be partially reduced by exercising (moderate to vigorous) 30-40 mins per day.
*Being active throughout the day is still crucial for optimal health even if you train hard few times a week.

Reference:
Ekelund U, Tarp J, Fagerland MW, et al Joint associations of accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary time with all-cause mortality: a harmonised meta-analysis in more than 44 000 middle-aged and older individuals British Journal of Sports Medicine 2020;54:1499-1506.