Replacing sitting time with exercises could mitigate the mortality risks incurred by sedentary time, according to a study.
Researchers found that doing low-intensity physical activities for 30 minutes instead of sitting would lower the risk of early death by 17 percent, while the same amount of moderate to vigorous exercises would cut the risk by 35 percent.
The paper published Monday in the American Journal of Epidemiology studied 7,999 participants who were 45 or older. Their daily activities were monitored for at least four days between 2009 and 2013, while the death rate of participants through 2017 was tabulated to study possible correlation.
"Our findings underscore an important public health message that physical activity of any intensity provides health benefits," said lead author Keith Diaz, who is assistant professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
The results also showed that short bursts of activity, even just for a minute or two, could provide health benefits. This added on to the conclusion in the team's previous study, which said that taking movement breaks after every half-hour of sitting could lower the risk of death.
It is noted that the study, only based on simulations, needs to be furthered and more specific areas would also be studied, such as the relations between cardiovascular death risk and physical activity.
