The study
In what is thought to be a World’s first study, participants completed two 4-hour evening intervention sessions of prolonged sitting; and sitting that were interrupted with 3-minute activity breaks every 30 minutes such as chair squats, calf raises, and standing knee raises with leg hip extensions. According to the researchers, participants slept a half hour longer after completing the activity break intervention.
Light activity throughout the evening
“We know that for many of us, our longest period of uninterrupted sitting happens at home in the evening. In our previous studies we have found that getting up and doing 2-3 minutes of exercise every 30 minutes reduces the amount of sugar and fat in your bloodstream after a meal,” said lead author Jennifer Gale, PhD candidate in the Department of Human Nutrition.
“However, many sleep guidelines tell us we shouldn’t do longer bouts or higher intensity exercise in the hours before sleep, so we wanted to know what would happen if you did very short bouts of light intensity activity repeatedly throughout the evening,” said Gale.
“These simple, bodyweight exercises were chosen because they don’t require equipment, or a lot of space and you can do them without interrupting the TV show you are watching,” said primary investigator Dr. Meredith Peddie, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Human Nutrition. “From what we know from other studies, you could probably get a similar effect if you walked around your house, marched on the spot, or even danced in your living room — the most important thing is that you get out of your chair regularly and move your body.”
Why this is important
Sitting for long periods of time is associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and death, making finding ways to break up sedentary time important. Light exercise represents an excellent way to break up sitting time and improve health at the same time.
This light exercise resulting in longer sleep duration is important because insufficient sleep can have a negative effect on many aspects of day-to-day life such as diet and energy levels. Additionally, insufficient sleep is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
“We know higher levels of physical activity during the day promotes better sleep, but current sleep recommendations discourage high-intensity exercise before bed because it can increase body temperature and heart rate resulting in poor sleep quality,” said Peddie. “It might be time to review these guidelines as our study has shown regularly interrupting long periods of sitting is a promising health intervention.”
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Content may be edited for style and length.
References/Sources/Materials provided by:
https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/evening-activity-for-better-sleep-otago-study
