Get Up and Get Active!

Regular physical activity is good for body and mind. It lowers the risk of many chronic diseases, helps manage stress and supports better sleep. But do you need to be a fitness fanatic to benefit? Not at all.

What Australia’s current guidelines recommend

Australia’s current 24-hour movement guidelines for adults suggest adults aged 18 to 64 aim to be active most days, preferably every day, with a mix of:

• moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity for 30 minutes or more on most days
• muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week
• activities that target mobility, balance and coordination on 3 or more days a week
• several hours of light-intensity activity spread through the day.

They also recommend limiting time spent sitting, breaking up long periods of sitting as often as possible, and getting 7–9 hours of good-quality sleep. Some activities count twice: walking up and down stairs, for example, contributes to both moderate activity and functional activity.

Does it matter how you fit it in?

A 2017 study in JAMA Internal Medicine looked at more than 63,000 adults aged 40 and over who took part in health surveys in England and Scotland between 1994 and 2012. Researchers compared people who were inactive with three active groups: people who were insufficiently active, “weekend warriors” who fitted all their exercise into one or two sessions a week, and people who were regularly active.

Compared with the inactive group, all three active groups had a lower risk of death from any cause over the follow-up period, roughly 30–35% lower. The study was observational, so it shows an association rather than proof of cause. Its message is encouraging: if one or two sessions a week is what you can manage, they still count.

Staying active may also shape how we age. A 2015 study in The Journal of Physiology tested 125 highly active amateur cyclists aged 55 to 79 and found that age was a poor predictor of their physiological function: people of different ages had similar muscle strength, lung function and exercise capacity, and even maximum oxygen uptake, the measure most closely linked to age, couldn’t pinpoint an individual’s age. The cyclists were unusually active and healthy and were measured at one point in time, so the study can’t show that exercise prevents ageing, but the researchers suggest staying active can help people age more healthily.

Sitting less matters too

A large Australian study of more than 200,000 NSW adults aged 45 and over (the 45 and Up Study, 2015) estimated the effect of swapping one hour of sitting for other activities each day. Replacing an hour of sitting with walking was associated with about a 14% lower risk of death over the study period, and even replacing it with standing was associated with about a 5% lower risk.

Research into how sitting affects the body is ongoing. One 2017 study of older women found that, among the less active women, those who sat the most had shorter telomeres (a marker of cellular ageing) than those who sat the least. That was a snapshot in time, so it can’t show that sitting caused the difference, but it adds to the case for breaking up long periods of sitting.

Even one short session has an effect

In a 2017 laboratory study of 47 healthy volunteers, a single 20-minute session of moderate exercise on a treadmill reduced the production of an inflammatory signalling protein (TNF) by immune cells. Long-term, low-grade inflammation is linked to many chronic conditions, and the researchers suggest this short-term effect may be one way regular exercise helps protect health. The study measured immediate effects only, so it is one piece of a larger picture.

The bottom line

You don’t need to be an exercise guru to see and feel the benefits of moving more. Start where you are: a brisk 20-minute walk, a weekend session, or simply getting up from your desk more often. Build up from there, choose activities you enjoy, and talk to a health professional if you have a medical condition or haven’t been active for a while. For more on why sitting less matters, read Sedentary Behaviour: The Gravity of the Situation.

How HSG can help

HSG brings movement into the working day with workplace fitness classes including Strengthen and Stretch, Bootcamp, Boxercise, Dance Fitness, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, Breathwork and Fit and Focused sessions, as well as corporate yoga and corporate Pilates. Classes run onsite in capital cities and many regional locations, or live online. Call 1300 889 073 or enquire online. We respond to all enquiries within 12 business hours.