Active breaks: The one-minute exercise that can slash your risk of heart disease

Technological progress and habits of modern life have considerably reduced physical activity levels in the world. THE World Health Organization (WHO) now warns that inactivity and sedentary lifestyle are one of Main risk factors for health problems and premature death.

It is however important to make a distinction between a sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity. Inactivity is defined as a daily level of movement below healthy recommendations (a minimum of 30 minutes per day of moderate exercise). The sedentary refers to the hours of the day we sit or lying. This includes the time spent making trips and at work, or at home to read, using a phone or watching television.

Previously, people thought they just had to follow the recommendations of physical activity to stay healthy. However, research in recent years has shown that sedentary lifestyle Can really thwart the beneficial effects of regular physical activity.

Even if a person ends their recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity or 7,000 stepsSitting for 8 hours or more every day is always considered sedentary. A study published in the journal PLOS One underlines that, although the vigorous exercise can help to alleviate some of the negative effects of sedentary lifestyles, the reduction in total time spent sitting is also essential.

In addition, spending many hours staying in place increases the overall risk of mortality up to 40%, as the research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology points out.

Active breaks and “exercise snacks”

Experts suggest that a good way to mitigate these risks is to make short breaks with a movement throughout the day.

According to A 2021 studyso-called “active breaks” or “Exercise snack“Improve cardiometabolic capacity. In 2024, A review concluded The fact that taking 3 to 4 minutes of high intensity breaks three times a day has decreased the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer death. An even more recent article Confirmed that they are a practical and achievable way to improve cardiovascular form, metabolic capacity and muscle function.

What kind of exercise is the best?

Until recently, it was not really clear which type of exercise works best in this context. To answer this question, a recent study in the journal Medicine and science in sport compared the effectiveness of various activities for the control of glucose in overweight young men.

The researchers divided volunteers into four groups: a group seated for 8 hours or more per day; Another group has taken a break of 30 minutes; The third group has a 3 -minute walk every 45 minutes; And the fourth group made 10 squats every 45 minutes.

They concluded that performance 10 squats Or walk For 3 minutes every 45 minutes, it’s more effective than walking for half an hour both to manage blood sugar.

An accessible solution

It is crucial to adopt more active lifestyle habits to mitigate the risks of a sedentary lifestyle. Although the World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, it is also important to incorporate the exercise and certain strength works.

But if this is not possible, incorporate high intensity moderate exercise snacks at home or at the office. Active breaks of 1 to 3 minutes every 45 minutes or every hour are sufficient.

And in addition to the 10 squats, there are other alternatives, according to the preferences of each person: mounting the stairs, making short walks, jumping in place or even walking with long progress. Remember that these small daily doses of effort have great health benefits, improving cardiovascular function, metabolic capacity and muscle function.

Beatriz Carpallo Porcar and Rita Galán Díaz are physiotherapists who are part of the teaching and research staff in physiotherapy at the University of San Jorge.

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