Physical Activity, Any Type or Amount, Cuts Health Risk From Sitting

A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found substituting 30 minutes of sedentary behavior with physical activity of any intensity or duration every day reduces the risk of early death by up to 35 percent, reports ScienceDaily . The researchers examined 7,999 middle-aged and older adults who wore monitors for at least four days to record the amount and intensity of physical activity they engaged in while awake. Thirty minutes a day of low-intensity physical activity cuts the risk of early death by 17 percent, while swapping the same amount of sitting for moderate to vigorous activity would lower that risk by 35 percent. "In our next study, we plan to look at the risk of specific cardiovascular outcomes, such as heart attack, heart failure, and cardiovascular-related deaths, associated with physical activity versus sedentary behavior," says Columbia University Professor Keith Diaz.