Recent Australian research has demonstrated the benefits of avoiding prolonged uninterrupted periods of sedentary (mainly sitting) time, interspersing periods of inactivity with breaks, and substituting (at minimum) light-intensity activity for sedentary time.These benefits include improved weight and metabolic outcomes. For example, the amount of sedentary time, time spent in light-intensity physical activity and time spent in mean activity intensity were found to be significantly associated with waist circumference and metabolic risk factors,
independent of time spent in moderate-to- vigorous-intensity activity. On average, each 10% increase in sedentary time was associated with a 3.1cm larger waist circumference.Evidence also indicated that people who took more breaks in sedentary time had significantly lower measures of obesity (waist circumference and BMI), and improved blood triglyceride and glucose levels, regardless of total sedentary time and moderate-vigorous physical activity.
Those in the group who had the most breaks had a waist circumference on average 5.95cm smaller than those in the group who took the least breaks.
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