In front of a computer screen, television, or not, prolonged periods of sedentary lifestyles, where we remain seated or lying down while awake, increase the risk of developing diseases: type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, respiratory, osteoarticular diseases, certain cancers, recalls the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES).
However, a large proportion of French people remain too sedentary: adults spend an average of seven hours a day engaged in activities without moving (in front of a screen, in the car, sitting at work, etc.). Getting out of your chair or sofa has already been recommended by health authorities for several years. “Don’t sit for too long: take the time to walk a little every 2 hours.”, thus summarized in 2016 Public Health France (SpF) after an initial assessment by Anses.
“Walk 5 minutes every 30 minutes”
Since then, various studies have demonstrated the benefits of more frequent breaks from sedentary lifestyles. During the 2020 lockdown linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, ANSES recommended getting up at least every 30 minutes, walking for 3 to 5 minutes and doing some movement, but this period of sedentary lifestyles was atypical. To take into account the latest knowledge, ANSES, contacted by the Ministry of Health, reviewed more than 75 robust studies on the benefits of activities that break up sedentary lifestyles.
Summary: “Walking for 5 minutes every 30 minutes, with low to moderate intensity, improves metabolic parameters, such as blood sugar or insulin levels,” according to his new expertise. "But it's not enough to get up, walk around the desk and sit back down: the break from sedentary lifestyle must last 3 to 5 minutes and sufficiently mobilize motor skills, like a brisk 3 to 5 minute walk.", explains to AFP Irène Margaritis, deputy director of food, animal and plant health at ANSES – and seasoned mountaineer.
In children, an activity of a "high intensity" of three minutes every half hour would still be "more beneficial", the agency specifies.
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"For the moment, there is no collective culture of breaking sedentary lifestyles."
“Children need to move” And "their spontaneous activity is significantly higher than their activity during a school day," emphasizes the expert. Regularly leaving a sitting position also benefits cognitive functions, according to studies: attention, reaction time, mood improve, the feeling of fatigue decreases, regardless of walking speed.
Levers other than walking (cycling, stairs, muscle strengthening, etc.) have interesting physiological effects. "But we don't have enough robust data to make specific recommendations.", notes Irene Margaritis. Work, school, home: breaking a sedentary lifestyle is recommended everywhere, for example by preferring the stairs to the elevator, talking while walking, working at a sit-stand desk, etc.
Beyond these individual behaviors, creating environments more conducive to an active lifestyle is crucial. "For the moment, there is no collective culture of breaking up a sedentary lifestyle: at work, in the tertiary sector, there are often long meetings without breaks; at school, children are forced into long periods of sedentary time, which is harmful and conditions them for the future...", notes the scientist.
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A good dose of physical activity
However, to maintain your health, being less sedentary is not enough: you also need a good dose of physical activity. Getting around on foot or by bike, taking the stairs, and being active at home (housework, gardening, DIY).
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week (walking, swimming, cycling, etc.) or 75 minutes of intense activity (running, team sports, etc.), or a combination of the two. Playing sports also allows you to have a more fun way of improving your health, argues ANSES.
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