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Actions That Benefit Your Heart More Than Sitting: Even Sleeping Counts

Research evaluates connections between various daily movement patterns and cardiac health.

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Researcher's initial exploration uncovers associations between various daily movements and...
Researcher's initial exploration uncovers associations between various daily movements and cardiovascular well-being.

Actions That Benefit Your Heart More Than Sitting: Even Sleeping Counts

New Study Links Movement Patterns to Heart Health Over 24-Hours

Researchers at University College London (UCL) have published a new study in the European Heart Journal, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), that explores the connection between various movement patterns throughout a 24-hour day and heart health. This study is the first from the international Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep (ProPASS) consortium to assess this link.

Cardiovascular disease, a global leading cause of mortality, claims around 20.5 million lives annually, according to the World Health Organization. With coronary heart disease as the main culprit, the number of affected individuals worldwide has more than doubled since 1997.

To examine the association between daily movement behavior and heart health, UCL researchers analyzed data from six studies, covering 15,246 participants across five countries. Each participant wore a wearable device on their thigh to monitor their activity levels throughout the day, while their heart health was evaluated through six common indicators.

The results identified a hierarchy of behaviors, with moderate-vigorous activity providing the most benefits for heart health. This was followed by light activity, standing, and sleep, with the detrimental impact of sedentary behavior evident when compared.

To estimate the effect on heart health in various scenarios, the researchers simulated changes in daily behavior for a week. Notably, replacing just five minutes of sedentary behavior with moderate-vigorous activity led to noticeable improvements in heart health.

For example, a 54-year-old woman with an average BMI of 26.5 could expect a 0.64 decrease in BMI (a 2.4% difference) by making a 30-minute change to their daily routine, such as swapping 30 minutes of sitting or lying time for moderate or vigorous exercise. This alteration might also translate to a 2.5-centimeter (2.7%) decrease in waist circumference or a 1.33 mmol/mol (3.6%) decrease in glycated haemoglobin.

Dr Jo Blodgett, the first author of the study from UCL's Surgery & Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health, emphasized the importance of movement intensity in improving heart health. Even brief periods of moderate to vigorous activity, such as a run, brisk walk, or stair climbing, could make a difference.

While high-intensity activities like vigorous exercise offer rapid improvements in heart health, the study's authors noted that lower-intensity activities like using a standing desk for a few hours each day can still provide benefits for people of all abilities.

Those who are least active experienced the greatest benefits when changing sedentary behaviors to more active ones, the study found. Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, joint senior author of the study, highlighted the accuracy of the wearable devices used in the study, which better distinguishes types of physical activity and posture.

Though the study does not definitively establish causality between movement behaviors and cardiovascular outcomes, it strengthens the growing body of evidence linking moderate to vigorous physical activity over 24 hours with improved body fat metrics. Further long-term studies are required to better understand the associations between movement and cardiovascular outcomes.

Professor Mark Hamer, joint senior author of the study, emphasized the importance of providing personalized recommendations for increased physical activity, tailored to each individual's abilities and routines. James Leiper, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, encouraged individuals to incorporate 'activity snacks' such as taking phone calls while walking or setting alarms for short exercise breaks to build physical activity into their daily routines.

This research funded by the British Heart Foundation highlights the potential benefits of small adjustments to daily routines in lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes. By replacing a few minutes of sedentary behavior with moderate activity, individuals may see improvements in BMI, cholesterol levels, waist size, and many other health indicators.

  1. Incorporating workplace wellness practices, such as using a standing desk or taking routine exercise breaks, could contribute positively to heart health, according to the study from UCL, even though they might not offer rapid improvements like high-intensity activities.
  2. A balanced approach to health and wellness, emphasizing nutrition, fitness, and exercise, as well as weight management, is crucial for heart health based on the research findings from UCL and the ProPASS consortium.
  3. The UCL study, which examined various movement patterns over a 24-hour period, demonstrated that even short bursts of moderate-vigorous activity, such as brisk walking, can lead to significant improvements in cardiovascular health markers.

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