Daily 30-minute workout 'may not benefit everyone'
- Published
Scientists say the level of exercise you need depends on how long you spend sitting per day
The decades-old advice of exercising for 30 minutes a day may not benefit everyone, scientists have claimed.
A study has shown that alternatively, three minutes of exercise for every hour spent seated could extend a life by 30%.
Research led by Glasgow Caledonian University found that sitting too long could even "undo" benefits of exercise.
Lead scientists said there was no "one-size-fits-all" approach to physical activity.
The four-year study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analysed data from six previous studies including more than 130,000 adults in the UK, US and Sweden.
It looked at how different combinations of activities - from running and brisk walking to housework and sitting - affect mortality.
Researchers found the current recommendation of 30 minutes of exercise per day reduced the odds of early death by up to 80% for some - those who sat for less than seven hours.
However it did not reduce mortality risk for individuals who sat for more than 11 to 12 hours per day.
Prof Sebastien Chastin said their "simple formula" really boosts health protection
The study concluded that the best combination of activities to reduce the odds of early death by 30% was to do three minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise, or 12 minutes of light physical activity, for each hour of the day spent sitting.
GCU's Professor of Health Behaviour Dynamics Sebastien Chastin said the new "formula" would help people to live a "longer, healthier life".
He said: "The leftover hours should be spent generally moving around as much as you can and getting a good night's sleep. This new cocktail, or simple formula, really boosts your health protection.
"Thirty minutes of physical activity per day or 150 minutes a week is what is recommended, but you still have the potential to undo all that good work if you sit too long.
"This is the largest study in the world into the best cocktail of activity for a longer life and protection against ill health. It's really reliable data."
Light activity
The researchers also found that there were multiple combinations of activities associated with a 30% reduction in the odds of an early death.
Co-author Keith Diaz, of Columbia University, added that it may be more important to use a combination of movements that include exercise and light activity to take the place of sitting.
He said: "For decades, we've been telling people that the way to stay healthy is to get at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week.
"But even if you're one of the few adults who can stick to this advice, 30 minutes represents just 2% of your entire day.
"Moving around and not remaining sedentary all day also matters. Our study shows that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to physical activity, and we get to choose which combinations of activities we like best."