In new research, replacing long periods of sitting with sleep was associated with lower stress, better mood, and lower body mass index.
In addition, substituting sitting with light physical activity was associated with improved mood and lower BMI across the next year, the study shows.
Light activity can include walking around your home office while talking on the phone or standing while preparing dinner, said lead author Jacob Meyer, assistant professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University.
Meyer and colleagues used data collected as part of the Energy Balance Study at the University of South Carolina. For 10 days, study participants, ranging in age from 21–35, wore an armband that tracked their energy expenditure. Meyer, director of the Wellbeing and Exercise Lab at Iowa State, said the data allowed researchers to objectively measure sleep, physical activity, and sedentary time, rather than relying on self-reports.
In addition to the benefits of sleep and light physical activity, the researchers found moderate to vigorous activity was associated with lower body fat and BMI. Given the negative health effects of prolonged sedentary time, Meyer said the findings may encourage people to make small changes that are sustainable.
“It may be easier for people to change their behavior if they feel it’s doable and doesn’t require a major change,” Meyer said. “Replacing sedentary time with housework or other light activities is something they may be able to do more consistently than going for an hour-long run.”
Making these subtle changes was associated with better current mood, but light physical activity also provided benefits for up to a year, the study shows. While the research was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Meyer said the results are timely given the growing mental health concerns during this time of physical distancing.
“With everything happening right now, this is one thing we can control or manage, and it has the potential to help our mental health,” Meyer said.
Additional researchers from Western Oregon University, Arizona State University, Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, West Virginia University, and the University of South Carolina contributed to the research.
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