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GET UP AND MOVE!
Don’t sit for too long at one time Staying seated for long periods of time is bad for your Heart Health no matter how much exercise you do. A recent study (ACE Optimal FIT Study) has found that the people who sit the most have a 147% increase risk of having a cardiovascular event and 90% increase risk of those events resulting in death.
So - get up and move EVERY SINGLE HOUR! Set your watch and move 5 minutes every hour.
It is that simple!
It doesn't matter what you do. Get up and take a lap around the house or office, go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, do laundry or dishes, get a snack, WHATEVER! The key factor is that you must move every single hour.
If a person is capable and willing to get up and move once per hour for five minutes, they can see positive changes in HDL, triglycerides and blood glucose. Duration and frequency proved to be more important than the intensity of the exercise. More frequent lower-intensity "chores' or general movements were more effective than performing traditional "exercise" for the same duration and frequency did.
An important factor of the study is that you cannot bank your time. You really need to get up and move for five minutes every hour in order to see the health benefits. It is important to note that the health benefits gained from this activity are reversed in as little as one week of returning to the sedentary behavior.
This in no way suggests that "sedentary interruption" should replace regular exercise or fitness routines, but rather, everyone should work to incorporate both into their days. Find and maintain exercise or fitness programs three to five times a week and limit the amount of sedentary or "sitting" time by moving for five minutes every hour will provide the most health benefits.