Are you sitting down? Unfortunately sitting for extended periods of time carries health risks, like impairing your body’s ability to use glucose for energy and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Good news! A recent study found that interrupting prolonged sitting with short bursts of activity improves blood glucose levels.
Why do we gain unwanted weight? When the body takes in more energy (calories) than it expends the excess energy is stored as fat. Carbohydrates are commonly overconsumed, resulting in excess energy. The body breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars. Eating more carbs than the body can process can result in high blood glucose. If cells don’t remove glucose from the blood effectively, the body stores it as fat, which can cause weight gain.
The best way for you to regulate your daily calorie and carbohydrate intake to stay healthy and fit is with sound nutrition. You can’t outwork a bad diet. However, your daily activities play a role in regulating your blood sugar, and maintaining a healthy body composition.
During the study, over an 8.5 hour period, participants either sat uninterrupted, got up once for a 30-minute walk, or got up every 45 minutes (10 times) for a 3-minute walk or a 3-minute squat session. Researchers found that any form of sitting interruption, also known as exercise snacks, reduced blood glucose levels better than uninterrupted sitting. With frequent squats in particular outperforming a single 30-minute walk.
What does this mean for you? You can better regulate your blood sugar, and support a healthy body composition, by frequently getting up and moving.
Squats are a critical exercise for lifelong independence. Good, full range of motion squats are fantastic for your hips, knees, low back, flexibility, and counteracting the effects of sitting.
You could also apply this exercise snack idea to other performance goals, like working on push-ups or practicing jump rope. Set alarms in your phone to regularly interrupt your sitting!
What you eat is key when it comes to achieving and maintaining a healthy body composition. You can use exercise snacks to support your body composition goals, performance goals, and combat health risks associated with prolonged sitting right now! What are you waiting for?! Get up and get after it!
