According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 80 percent of jobs in the United States are mostly sedentary. Most of us sit in front of a computer for eight to 10 hours a day with little or no movement before moving over to the couch and sitting in front of a larger screen. Even though COVID has brought about the age of treadmills and under-desk treadmills, most people are still sitting for hours, which is negatively affecting our mental health.
But there is still hope. A recent global State of Mind study published by ASICS reports shows that just 15 minutes of exercise a day can help offset the negative effects of sitting at a desk for hours.
According to the study, when office workers add as little as 15 minutes of exercise to their regular workday, their mental state improves by 22.5 percent and their overall Mood score increases from 62/100 to 76/100.
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State of Mind scores were calculated based on the cumulative mean scores of nine cognitive and emotional traits, each scored out of 10.
Traits were divided into two categories, cognitive and emotional, and included the following:
- Positive
- confident
- Created
- Resistant
- Comfortable
- focused
- Calm
- Warning
- Energized
Dr. from King's College London, who oversaw The Desk Break Experiment. “We have previously shown that just 15 minutes of exercise during leisure time can lead to a significant improvement in people's State of Mind scores,” said Brendon Stubbs. “But what surprised us about the Desk Break experiment was how powerful 15-minute movement breaks were at improving well-being and reducing stress. They even changed people's perceptions of their workplaces for the better.”
Take a tally of the people in your life who work from their desks from nine to five. It's safe to assume that most of them take their lunch around 12 or 1pm, which means they go for hours without moving. According to the study, just two hours of continuous sitting lowered State of Mind scores and increased stress levels.
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This isn't the first study to show that sitting for hours is bad for our health, too. According to another study published in January 2024, individuals who sat mostly at work had a 16 percent increased risk of death and a 34 percent increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared to those who did not sit for hours. day.
Moral of the story? Take action! Even if you have a job that requires you to be at your desk all day, buy a walking mat under your desk, add a Peloton to your Christmas wish list, or turn on a podcast while taking a brisk walk on your lunch break. . Trust the experts; Your mental health will thank you.
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