30 minutes of exercise, but sedentary for the rest of the day

Is it okay to meet the Danish Health Authority's recommendation to be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day if you are physically inactive for the rest of the day and hardly move at all?

There are probably many who can recognize if you describe a normal everyday life like this: I take the car to work, sit in my office during working hours and only get up when I need to go to the toilet or have some food and coffee, I take the car home and spend the rest of the evening on the couch before going to bed. At work it's busy and after work I don't have the energy to go out and exercise.

Tips for becoming less inactive

But if you are physically active for just 30 minutes a day, as recommended by the Danish Health Authority, are you living a healthy life? Research from recent years shows that being physically inactive for many hours in a row increases the risk of disease and early death. This is true even if you are active for 30 minutes a day. Given this, any form of exercise is of course better than none, but it is also important to break up the sedentary hours with some activity. In the many sedentary hours you may have at work, it's a good idea to get up from your office chair several times during the day. Go downstairs and get water or a cup of coffee several times a day instead of bringing a whole pot to your desk, go to your colleague and pass on a message verbally instead of sending an email or take a walk up and down the stairs, just to get a little movement. Outside of working hours, of course, it's also important to get moving. Swap the car for a bike and take half an hour off TV time to go for an evening walk instead.

Small movements help

These small movements we do during the day, but without exercising, are also known as NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). These small movements also burn energy and therefore help to increase your activity level during the day. Those who stand up will have more NEAT activity than those who remain seated. The person who walks over to their colleague to talk also gets more NEAT activity than the person who stays seated and sends an email. Even the smallest movements count. NEAT activities do not have the same effect on the body as more intense exercise, but they help to maintain weight and keep bodies moving.

Research suggests that breaking up hours of inactivity with a little movement is beneficial to your health. In addition, it makes sense to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.

By Josefine Huusom