Discussions about sedentary behaviour seem to be growing in the physical activity field.
Focusing on sedentary behaviours does make some sense. Obviously, when we are busy being sedentary, we are not being active. So perhaps the sedentary behaviour is one we should tackle.
Some researchers are even looking at the health risks of being too sedentary (Check out this Research Update). Other researchers have even examined interventions which focus on decreasing sedentary time, especially with children and youth.
So what are examples of sedentary behaviour?
Driving our cars.
Watching television.
Playing video games (though there are now some which require some movement)
Working or playing on the computer (which is what I am doing right now).
Time at work. More and more jobs are sedentary. Sitting (and in some cases standing) in one place pretty much all day.
Anything that prevents us from moving.
Many professionals in my field spend time and effort promoting and creating opportunities for physical activity. We often talk about how people can and should fit activity into their lives. Cycle to work! Go for a walk! Play a sport! Take a fitness class! Move more!
It seems simple when we say these things, but in reality it isn’t simple to achieve. Most of Canadians are not physically active to see any benefits.
Well, what if we threw in another approach? What is we spent some time on the actual behaviour we want to get rid of- the sedentary behaviour. Perhaps we could encourage people to find ways to be less sedentary during their day.
The theory of this logic: If people reduced their sedentary time, they will create more time to be active.
So what do I mean by reducing sedentary time? • Reduce how much TV you watch • Decrease your leisure time on the computer. • Find ways to not be sitting all day at work. (Standing meetings, place your garbage can on the opposite side of the room, walk to your colleagues desk instead of sending an email). • Limit the time we are in the car (i.e. try to walk more from store to store rather than drive to each one)
Perhaps re-framing the physical activity discussion to include examining our sedentary behaviour may in fact help some people to ultimately move more.
Even after all these years in the physical activity field, I am continually fascinated by how amazingly good physical activity is for our body and overall health. So, I feel the need to share my thoughts and energy about this!
For a project that I am currently working on, I have been reading some of the latest research regarding the effects that physical activity has on people with certain chronic diseases. In particular, I have learned quite a bit about hypertension (high blood pressure).
It is well known that regular physical activity can help to prevent many chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure. Given that "the average adult Canadian" has high blood pressure already, I think it's important for all of us to be talking about the benefits of increased physical activity for this segment of the population.
What have I learned? What news or information should we share with others?
1. You get immediate benefits! Researches have found that immediately after physical activity (in particular, any aerobic activity) a person's blood pressure decreases for a period of time. The higher the resting blood pressure, the more noticeable the decrease after being active.
So, someone who is in a healthy (resting) blood pressure range may not even notice a drop in their blood pressure after exercise (i.e., if they were measured their blood pressure before and after the physical activity).
For those with high blood pressure, a decrease in blood pressure after being physically active can last anywhere from two to seven hours. The duration of the decrease depends on how long the activity session was, and the intensity level of the session, e.g., at least moderate intensity.
The decrease in blood pressure after being active is a prime example or reason why daily physical activity can be so beneficial for someone with high blood pressure. Just from being active, your arteries will get some relief for a period of time. How fantastic is that!
2. You don't have to work at a hard intensity to see benefits! I also learned that moderate intensity aerobic activity is best. Vigorous activity does not seem to be as beneficial as moderate intensity, in regards to achieving a decrease in blood pressure. (Of course, depending on the person, vigorous activity certainly has numerous benefits – but that's a topic for another day!)
When it comes to intensity, what this all means is that even just walking at a brisk pace (something a lot people can do), can be enough activity for someone who does have high blood pressure to see some changes with their blood pressure and achieve health benefits.
3. You will still see some benefits in 10 minutes block of physical activity Also, based on the research; it is recommended that those who have high blood pressure try to be physically active 30 minutes a day. The longer a session is, the more benefits a person can see.
However, the research I read also suggested that if the 30 minutes is broken into three 10-minute blocks throughout the day, people will still see some benefits. Knowing that three 10-minutes sessions can be beneficial can definitely make achieving the 30-minute recommendation more "doable" or manageable for many people. 4. You may actually lower your blood pressure with regular physical activity! Finally, those with high blood pressure who become active regularly may actually achieve a consistently lower resting blood pressure. In some cases, the decrease will be enough to bring a person back to a healthy range, or enough for the person's physician to take the person off their medication for high blood pressure.
Enough said?!? Thanks for allowing me to unleash my "geeky physiology side”.
For those that are like me and get a kick out of this topic, I have included some good resources below that you can dive into for more "fun stuff" on your own time.
For those who are not so keen on reading reams of research, I hope I gave you enough information and inspiration for you to share these facts and findings with others and perhaps spark some wider appreciation of the sometimes complex benefits of physical activity.
