The habit of being sedentary, or a lack of physical movement, is something many people experience. Days often begin with waking up, getting ready, and then commuting to work. Upon arrival, desk-bound jobs often require prolonged sitting.
After a full day of work, it’s natural to want to relax on the sofa and unwind. Unfortunately, this busy routine can lead to infrequent exercise or movement. However, this lack of activity is actually quite detrimental to health. Therefore, it’s crucial to break free from sedentary lifestyle habits.
What Exactly is a Sedentary Lifestyle?
A sedentary lifestyle encompasses behaviors of prolonged sitting or lying down throughout the day, outside of sleeping hours.
Examples include extended periods of sitting at a laptop, constant phone usage, gaming, or frequent travel by vehicle.
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes RI), a sedentary lifestyle is defined as activities performed outside of sleep that expend minimal calories, less than 1.5 METs (metabolic equivalent).
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that this lifestyle can have adverse health effects, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, colorectal cancer, hypertension, osteoporosis, depression, and anxiety.
Simple Ways to Combat a Sedentary Lifestyle
To mitigate the negative impacts of a sedentary lifestyle, it’s recommended to increase movement and physical activity.
The WHO’s recommended preventive measures for a sedentary lifestyle include engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity daily, abstaining from smoking, and consuming a healthy diet.
For homemakers, remote workers, or students on semester break, here are actionable steps to prevent a sedentary lifestyle:
- Engage in household chores, gardening, decluttering, and other activities that involve significant physical movement.
- Take walks in your neighborhood, whether alone, with family, friends, or even pets.
- Exercise at home using guided videos from TV or the internet.
- Stay active while watching television; for instance, incorporate light weightlifting, yoga, stationary cycling, or using a treadmill.
- Walk while talking on the phone.
If your workday is primarily office-based, you can incorporate more movement to counteract a sedentary lifestyle:
- Stand up and move at least once every hour.
- Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Utilize break times or a portion of your lunch hour for a walk around the office building.
- Stand while taking phone calls.
- Walk to a colleague’s office for discussions instead of sending emails.
- Conduct meetings with colleagues while walking or standing, rather than sitting.
Make these practices a routine to avoid the negative consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. It’s never too late to implement even small changes in your daily life, whether at home or at work.
Why Are Many People Reluctant to Walk?
Walking is one of the easiest and most effective ways to maintain fitness. The gold standard for maximizing benefits is aiming for 10,000 steps daily, which can be tracked with a smartwatch or other smart devices.
However, achieving a high step count can be challenging, especially during the workweek. Who has the time? And is it truly the most appropriate goal for everyone?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week, totaling 150 minutes of exercise per week.
Some may argue that this is a more realistic and attainable goal compared to walking 10,000 steps daily.
“The most important thing we need is to move more—we are a society that doesn’t move enough,” says Travers. “Start small and make it a part of your day. Aim to move for at least 20 minutes a day.”
How Many Steps Per Day Are Considered Active and Healthy?
While individual needs vary, it’s generally agreed that individuals walking fewer than 5,000 steps per day are considered sedentary, whereas walking more than 10,000 steps per day is considered active.
Researchers have established the following baseline guidelines:
- Low Activity (Sedentary): Walking fewer than 5,000 steps per day.
- Low Active: Walking approximately 5,000 to 7,499 steps per day.
- Moderately Active: Walking approximately 7,500 to 9,999 steps per day.
- Active: Walking more than 10,000 steps per day.
- Highly Active: Walking more than 12,500 steps per day.
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