Brisk walk ‘can undo damage of being stuck at your desk’

GOING for a brisk walk daily can help undo the damage done from sitting for hours at a desk, new World Health Organisation guidelines say.

The advice on ‘ sedentary behaviour’ is increasingly relevant for the millions stuck at home due to Covid restrictions.

It is based on a study showing that inactivity of ten or more hours a day is linked to a significantly heightened risk of death.

But just 30 to 40 daily minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity substantially lowers this risk, the research found.

Some 44,000 people from four countries, who each wore activity trackers, were studied by scientists for between four and 14 years.

Those who spent about ten hours or more each day without moving – and did not get much exercise – were found to have a 263 per cent increased risk of death, compared to those who got plenty of exercise and were inactive for no more than eight hours a day.

But those who were inactive for ten hours a day – but also undertook a decent bout of daily exercise – did not have a ‘statistically significant’ increased risk of death.

Researchers, led by the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, stressed that all physical activity counts.

It could be anything from climbing the stairs instead of taking the lift, a walk around the block, a spot of gardening or some household chores – anything that makes someone’s heart rate and breathing speed increase for a sustained period. Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, from the University of Sydney, who co-edited a special issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine focused on the subject, said: ‘Although the new guidelines reflect the best available science, there are still some gaps in our knowledge.

‘We are still not clear... where exactly the bar for “too much sitting” is. But this is a fast-paced field of research and we will hopefully have answers in a few years’ time.’

The new guidelines say everyone should aim to do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise a week – or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity.

They are also advised to undertake some muscle-strengthening activity, such as weights, sit-ups or other exercises at least twice a week, and reduce sedentary behaviour. Over65s should do physical activity that emphasises balance and strength training at moderate or greater intensity at least three times a week to prevent falls.

And women are advised to do regular physical activity throughout pregnancy and after the birth.

Professor Stamatakis said: ‘These guidelines are timely, given that we are in the middle of a global pandemic, which has confined people indoors for long periods and encouraged an increase in sedentary behaviour.’

Professor Fiona Bull, from the WHO, said: ‘The most recent global estimates show that one in four adults and more than three quarters of teenagers don’t meet the recommendations for aerobic exercise. So there’s an urgent need for governments to prioritise and invest in national initiatives and health and community services that promote physical activity.’

‘Timely – given there’s a pandemic’