The study shows that moving around is beneficial, but Diaz speculated that some managers might not approve of employees leaving their desks.

Taking a quick walk every half an hour may help mitigate the negative effects that prolonged sitting has on our health, according to a recent study.

A growing body of research indicates that prolonged sitting, a reality for many workers, is harmful to health, even for those who exercise frequently.

In the latest research, volunteers who stood up and took a five-minute walk every half-hour experienced lower blood sugar and blood pressure levels than those who remained seated all day.

The small study, which was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, also found that walking for one minute every hour reduced blood pressure but not blood sugar. 

“If you have a job that requires you to sit most of the day or have a largely sedentary lifestyle, this is one strategy that could improve your health and offset the health harms from sitting,” according to the study’s lead author, Keith Diaz, an associate professor of behavioural medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

It’s unclear why sitting for extended periods without getting up is bad for your health, but Diaz believes that at least part of the reason is because we don’t use our leg muscles when we sit.

He stated that muscles are crucial blood sugar level regulators. “Things don’t work right if we don’t use them,” he added.

Moving around lowers blood pressure and boosts circulation, according to Diaz. The blood pools in the legs when you’re sitting. “Regular leg muscle contractions aid in reestablishing normal blood flow.”

Diaz and his team tested four different “activity snacks” on 11 volunteers to determine the most effective way to counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting: one minute of walking after every 30 minutes of sitting, one minute after 60 minutes of sitting, five minutes after 30 minutes of sitting, and five minutes after 60 minutes of sitting.

Each of those tactics’ results were compared to the results of continuous sitting.

The 11 adult volunteers came to the lab and sat in ergonomic chairs for eight hours, only getting up for bathroom breaks and whatever snack activities they were instructed to complete. The 11 participants completed an eight-hour period during which they only got up for bathroom breaks, as well as each of the strategies one at a time.

Throughout each stage of the study, blood pressure and blood sugar levels were monitored. Five minutes of walking for every 30 minutes of sitting was the best strategy.

A dramatic difference between this approach and sitting all day was seen in how the volunteers’ bodies handled heavy meals, with a 58% decrease in blood pressure spikes.

Comparing all walking strategies to sitting for the entire eight hours, blood pressure was significantly reduced by 4 to 5 points. Except for walking a minute every hour, all types of activity snacks significantly reduced fatigue and lifted mood.

The study shows that moving around is beneficial, but Diaz speculated that some managers might not approve of employees leaving their desks.

The change in workplace culture is the next crucial step for us, he said, according to NBC.