This is where the importance of incidental physical activity arises, which refers to the daily movements we perform outside of regular exercise times, such as walking around the house, washing dishes, climbing stairs, and even moving your legs while sitting.
Simple movements.. great benefits
Research indicates that small, repetitive movements help activate muscles, increase energy expenditure, support blood circulation, and may contribute to improving blood sugar level regulation.
Examples include moving your feet and legs while sitting, changing your body position, or rotating your shoulders from time to time. A small study found that fidgeting can increase energy expenditure by about 16% compared to sitting still.
Four minutes can make a difference
You do not need to spend hours moving to gain health benefits; a large study published in 2024, which included more than 22,000 British participants, indicated that short bursts of incidental physical activity, lasting no more than a minute each and totaling four minutes daily, may help reduce the risks associated with inactivity in people who do not exercise regularly.
During an eight-year follow-up, researchers observed a link between higher levels of incidental activity and a reduction in health risks associated with prolonged sitting, as well as a lower risk of premature death.
How to make movement a part of your day?
Physical activity can be incorporated into your daily routine without the need for major changes, through simple habits, most notably:
- Climbing stairs: Use the stairs instead of the elevator when appropriate.
- Moving during calls: Walk around the place instead of staying seated.
- Muscle activation: Move your legs and change your sitting position during meetings and work.
- Doing household chores: Such as cleaning, cooking, and gardening, as these are activities that help reduce inactivity.
- Increasing your daily steps: Park the car a little further away, or walk to nearby shops.
- Utilizing regular habits: Raise your heels and stand on your tiptoes while brushing your teeth, or move your legs under the desk.
Make movement a habit, not a burden
Amanda Daley, a professor of behavioral medicine at Loughborough University in the UK, emphasizes the importance of integrating movement into daily activities rather than treating it as an additional task that requires significant time and effort.
Experiments show that providing desks that allow for standing while working can help reduce sitting hours, and looking for simple opportunities to walk and move throughout the day makes physical activity easier and more sustainable.
Conclusion: You don't need to change your entire day to become more active; every extra movement, no matter how simple it seems, can be a beneficial step for your health. Start with small habits you can commit to, and over time, movement may become a natural part of your lifestyle.
