As much as we’re a fan of a good sweaty workout, there’s something to be said about the benefits of an unhurried stroll through your local neighborhood.
Light physical activity is often undermined by those who believe exercise needs to feel like to workout to be beneficial. But a recent lauded the benefits of leisurely exercise, like walking the dog, working in the garden and cleaning the house.
“Light physical activity provides almost limitless opportunities for micro-interventions to increase physical activity through routine daily behaviours,” said authors Robert Ross and Ian Janssen of Queens University, and Mark Tremblay from the Healthy Active Living and Research Group of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
To be clear, the authors aren’t suggesting replacing your regular workouts with housework. Accumulating 150 minutes of purposeful exercise is still important to reduce the risk of chronic disease. But the average Canadian spends less than two percent of their day exercising, which leaves lots of leftover hours in which to be sedentary. Hence, the reminder, while commendable, a single bout of physical activity a day is only one component of an active lifestyle.
Making a commitment to move more throughout the day is worth the extra effort. Data accumulated from 13,960 study subjects in six different studies revealed a reduction in cardiovascular mortality by 20 per cent for each 20-minute increase in light physical activity. Other results reported replacing 30 minutes of sedentary time with 30 minutes of light physical activity reduced the risk of cancer mortality by nine per cent. Add another 30 minutes of light physical activity per day and research suggests the reduction in cancer mortality is equivalent to 30 minutes of more vigorous exercise.
“The message that health benefits can be obtained without engaging in structured, planned moderate to vigorous physical activity (e.g. exercise) provides achievable options for all adults, addresses individual preferences, and may empower those who seek alternatives for engaging in physical activity behaviours that may mitigate lifestyle-based diseases,“ said Ross, Janssen and Tremblay.
What constitutes light physical activity? Walking at a comfortable pace of about 3 km/h per hour, which feels more like a stroll than a power walk, qualifies. So do most sustained household or work-related tasks that require you walk, bend, stretch, reach or lift. In fact, any activities beyond turning the pages of a book, looking at a screen and putting your feet up have the potential to qualify as light physical activity.
What’s less clear is the number of consecutive minutes of light physical activity you need to accumulate for the healthy benefits to kick in. Most studies looked at gathering at least 30-minutes of light intensity activity over the course of the day. But since the idea is to break up sedentary patterns with more movement, make it your goal to add several short (5-10 minute) activity breaks into your day rather than one long bout at either end of your day.
Researchers noted a dose response manner when it came to reducing the risk of mortality with light intensity exercise. So, think quantity versus intensity of movement. And don’t make the mistake of defining this time as exercise — which could throw up unnecessary barriers. You don’t need to change into workout clothes, carry a water bottle or set an achievement goal. But you do need to consider these short bursts of leisurely activity as more than the cues on your phone to stand for one minute every hour. The goal is to get your body in motion.
Walk around the office, go up and down the stairs and communicate with your co-workers face to face instead of by email. Make similar changes at home, gently turning the pedals of your old exercise bike during Jeopardy, cranking up the tunes for a family dance party or heading outside after dinner with the kids to walk the dog, play catch, shoot pucks or kick a ball. Shuffle, stroll, strut, peddle or anything in-between, for as little as five minutes as often as you can.
And remember, light physical activity is an add-on, not a replacement, for your favourite workout. Making time to sweat and move for fun and enjoyment offers the greatest payback in health, longevity and wellbeing.