Nitubara: Little physical activity is beneficial for obese people during long ...

Prolonged sittings can be problematic especially for obese people and active breaks help them. Regular two minutes break of walking or any other light activity are good for health. Activities with regular intervals along with high calorie meal keep glucose and insulin levels under control, according to new research in diabetes care. Increase in blood sugar or glucose levels is associated with poor health, artery stiffening and cardiovascular disease. Active breaks keep these glucose levels under control.

Larger and frequent spikes are bad and damage the walls of arteries and veins, according to Associate Professor David Dunstan, of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It also increases the risk of heart disease.

Physical activity for long sittings

Imbalance in hormone levels also increases the risk of heart disease. Hormone replacement therapy is used to balance hormone levels in both men and women. Research shows that long time sittings are dangerous for health. It also causes many chronic diseases including cancers.

A case study:

In the study, the researchers included 19 participants whose ages were ranged 45 to 65. All of those were overweight or obese. Three experiments were carried out on each participant and each experiment was carried out after a six day break.

The participants were asked to sit for 5 hours in the first experiment. The idea was to create conditions similar to that of office workers who sit at their desks for long periods.
In the second experiment, the length of time was same but they were asked to walk after every 20 minutes interval on a treadmill at a light-intensity pace for 2 minutes.
In the third experiment, all the things were same except the walk that was of moderate intensity.

To measure the blood glucose levels, all the participants were given a standard drink containing 75g of glucose and 50g of fat. After that, there insulin and glucose levels were checked.

Case study for physical activity

Conclusion of the study:

According to the Dunstan, the individuals who did some regular activity with particular breaks showed 30% improvement as compared to those who did not take any break.

There was not much difference in the benefits of high and moderate intensity activity. Light intensity activities also showed great improvements.

More good results are achieved due to balance in hormone levels. Testosterone and HGH are among the main hormones that play a great role in maintaining body functions. Low levels of these hormones cause many problems in the body. Testosterone replacement therapy is used to treat low T levels.

This study showed that breaks during sittings improve health. While sitting, muscles sleep and during movement, they wake up. Body movement maintains the body?s metabolic system.

It is also suggested that office workers who sit for hours and look at screens should take break after every thirty minutes to relax their eyes. These findings are not limited to obese people; in fact, breaking up during sitting time is beneficial for all who sits for longer time.

Tips for Breaking Up Sitting Time: