It’s time to get moving – more than you probably are.
A recent study found that for optimal health, you will need to devote four hours a day to some level of physical activity.
Researchers at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia, analyzed the behavior of 2,000 people over a 24-hour period to determine the right combination of effort and relaxation for optimal health.
The ideal split was approximately: eight hours of sleep, five hours of standing, six hours of sitting, and four hours split between light and moderate physical activity.
This breakdown helped maintain ideal glycemic control and promoted heart health.
Moderate to vigorous physical activity may include brisk walking or cycling, jogging, jumping, and aerobic dancing; while light physical activity can mean anything from walking to cooking to doing household chores to laughing out loud.
These latest recommendations were published in Diabetologia.
The standard for turning a blind eye
Swinburne’s team recommends people get eight hours and 20 minutes of sleep to support their overall health, while avoiding lower and higher sleep volumes.
This research reflects the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends people get at least seven hours of sleep per night. Although the dangers of lack of sleep are well documented, sleeping more than nine hours a night has been linked to an increased risk of stroke.
The researchers noted: “Shorter sitting time and more time spent standing, doing physical activity, and sleeping are associated with better cardiometabolic health. This breakdown encompasses a wide range of health markers and converges toward the 24 hours associated with optimal overall health.
New York Post
