How to increase physical activity after sitting for a day?

Sitting still for long periods of time has become a norm in many people's work and life. Going out by car, sitting in front of the office computer for a whole day, having meetings, and lying still at home... However, prolonged sitting is associated with an increased risk of many diseases and death. Frequent sitting leads to obesity, cervical spondylosis, constipation, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. But many people sit for long periods of time every day, which is necessary or necessary for work. So how can we reduce the harm of prolonged sitting?

The 'best remedy' for prolonged sitting has been announced

Recently, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that compared to 8 hours, people who sit for more than 12 hours a day, as long as they engage in "moderate to high-intensity exercise" for at least 22 minutes a day, can offset the increased risk of death! And no matter how long you sit for, as long as you move, it is associated with a reduced risk of death, which can be said to be the best sedentary remedy! This study included approximately 12000 people and found that regardless of the length of sedentary time, more moderate to high-intensity exercise can reduce the risk of death. If "moderate to high-intensity exercise" lasts ≥ 22 minutes, there is no significant difference in the risk of death between people who sit for 8 hours and those who sit for 12 hours a day. This means that engaging in at least 22 minutes of moderate to high intensity physical activity per day can offset the increased risk of death from prolonged sitting. This can be said to have found the "best remedy" to reduce the risk of death for people who sit for long periods of time.

What are the "medium to high intensity exercises"? According to the World Health Organization, adults should engage in moderate intensity aerobic exercise for 300 minutes per week or engage in high-intensity aerobic exercise for over 150 minutes per week; Combining moderate intensity and vigorous intensity in equal amounts is better for health! How to determine mild, moderate, and high-intensity exercise? The World Health Organization has issued an article explaining that mild physical activity refers to activities such as slow walking that do not significantly increase our heart rate, respiratory rate, etc., while moderate and high-intensity physical activity can bring about significant changes in heart rate.

Low intensity exercise. During low-intensity exercise, maintain a heart rate of around 100 beats per minute and feel a slight warmth in the body. For example, walking dogs, doing household chores, etc. are all low-intensity exercises. Moderate intensity exercise. During moderate intensity exercise, the heart rate is 100-140 beats per minute, and sweating can be felt during activity. Breathing is relatively rapid and slightly difficult. For example: brisk walking, slow jogging, cycling, swimming, yoga, etc. High intensity exercise. The heart rate during high-intensity exercise is greater than 140 beats per minute, accompanied by profuse sweating, intense heartbeat, panting, and a feeling of being out of breath. For example: fast running, high-speed cycling, fast high leg lifting, squat jumping, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), etc.

How to increase daily "medium to high intensity" exercise? Many people are very busy every day, how can we increase the amount of "medium to high intensity" exercise every day? In daily work and life, many people are accustomed to taking elevators when climbing stairs. It is suggested that everyone adjust their daily habit of taking the elevator upstairs to climbing stairs when going upstairs. Climbing stairs is a type of medium to high intensity training. If you have to climb more than ten flights of stairs to work and home every day, it can greatly increase your daily "medium to high intensity" exercise. If the commuting distance is close (within 5 kilometers), it is recommended to switch from taking a car to walking at a fast pace. When walking, pay attention to your heart rate and pace, preferably at a speed of 130-140 steps per minute, and control your heart rate within the moderate intensity exercise range of 100-140 beats per minute. If the distance to and from work is slightly far (5-10 kilometers), you can try cycling quickly. Cycling quickly is also a medium to high-intensity exercise that can effectively exercise our largest muscle group - the thigh muscle group.

Remember these 4 points before moderate to high-intensity exercise: Warm up before exercise. Before exercise, be sure to warm up thoroughly to avoid sports injuries. After exercising, it is important to do muscle stretching and relaxation. If you have been feeling unwell recently, such as catching a cold, fever, chest pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness, headache, joint discomfort, etc., you should avoid moderate to high-intensity exercise. Exercise gradually and according to one's ability. Do not exercise impulsively, especially for people who do not usually move, it is best not to suddenly engage in intense exercise, as it may lead to sports injuries. Especially for people who are obese or have joint diseases, they should be alert to excessive exercise that can cause damage to the body. If discomfort occurs during exercise, stop immediately. After injury, illness, poor physical condition, overwork, lack of sleep, colds, and fever, sudden death due to exercise can also occur. "Hu Xitian, chief physician of the Cardiovascular Department of Shijiazhuang First Hospital, reminded in a 2016 interview with Hebei News Network that if the closest body is very tired, it is best to reduce vigorous exercise. Once you feel chest tightness, hypoxia, dizziness, and back radiation pain, you should immediately stop exercising and go to the hospital for examination. The sudden stop of a person after intense exercise is equivalent to a "sudden brake", and they need to do a "cold body exercise" after exercise. Slow jogging, brisk walking, stretching and relaxation after moderate to high-intensity exercise can maintain and promote blood flow. In cold body exercise, gradually slow down the movements and reduce the heart rate to below 120 beats per minute, which usually takes 5-10 minutes.

Don't drink excessively after exercise. Many people feel dry and thirsty after exercise and want to drink a lot of water quickly. At this time, it is recommended to calm down the body first, drink water in small sips multiple times, and not drink excessively in large sips. Tao Ling, director of the Department of Cardiology at the Second People's Hospital of Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, said in an interview with Benliu News in 2022, "Because water accumulates in the gastrointestinal tract for a short period of time, in addition to feeling heavy and bloated in the stomach, it can also affect diaphragm activity, thereby affecting normal breathing. A large amount of water entering the bloodstream can rapidly increase blood volume, suddenly increase the burden on the heart, and lead to abnormal cardiopulmonary function