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Study says 15 minutes of exercise can reverse damage caused by prolonged sitting
A new study conducted by ASICS to celebrate World Mental Health Day found that 15 minutes of exercise can help prevent the damage caused by working at a desk for nine hours. When participants started walking during their workday, they experienced lower stress levels and felt more relaxed, calm, and flexible. Read on to learn more about the study.
15 minutes of exercise can reverse the damage caused by sitting for long periods of time
A new study shows that 15 minutes of exercise can help prevent the damage caused by working at a desk for nine hours. The study also says workers can improve their mental health through simple movement breaks. The study was conducted by ASICS in celebration of World Mental Health Day. Researchers found that even two hours of a desk-based job can have an impact on a person’s mental health and that stress levels increase significantly after four hours of work.
However, incorporating 15 minutes of physical activity into the work day may help reduce these effects. According to a report by Express.co.uk, when participants started walking during their workday, they experienced decreased stress levels and felt more relaxed, calm and flexible.
Exercise can help improve your physical health as well as mental health after sitting at your desk for long periods of time. If you sit for more than 3-4 hours per day while working, you are increasing your risk of heart disease, cancer, arthritis, obesity, accelerated aging, muscle stiffness and posture problems. However, with a straightforward daily routine and mobility exercises, you can deal with the side effects of sitting. These exercises include:
- lungs
- squat
- Walking
- spinal torsion
- shrugs shoulders
- arm rises
- wrist stretches
Stretching can help reduce stiffness caused by sitting for long periods of time and help correct your posture. Focus on expanding your chest, mobilizing your spine, and rotating your neck and shoulders.
You might also consider standing, stretching, and walking for at least a minute or two every half hour.
Speaking about the study, an ASICS spokesperson said, “ASICS’ global State of Mind study, involving 26,000 participants, revealed a strong association between sedentary behavior and mental well-being, which can lead to a person’s long-term “Staying inactive for up to 24 hours results in a drop in State of Mind score.”
He further added, āFurther research on desk-based working found that after working at a desk for two hours continuously, state of mind scores start falling and stress levels start increasing. After four hours of uninterrupted desk time, workers’ stress levels increased significantly by 18%.
“However, a new desk break experiment shows that just 15 minutes of movement can help reverse the effects.”
The study was overseen by Dr. Brendan Stubbs of King’s College London, who found that when office workers incorporated just 15 minutes of activity into their working day, their mental state improved by 22.5% and participants’ overall mental The condition score increased from 62/100 to 62/100. 76/100.
The study also showed that taking daily desk breaks for just one week reduced stress levels by 14.7%, increased productivity by 33.2% and improved focus by 28.6%. Participants reported feeling 33.3% more relaxed and 28.6% more calm and flexible.
āWhat surprised us about the desk break experiment was how powerful 15-minute movement breaks were in improving health and reducing stress,ā said Dr. Stubbs. It has also changed peopleās perception of their workplace for the better.ā
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