These days, so many of us sit at a desk or computer for much of the day. When Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding meets with her patients, many of them say they struggle to fit in more movement to their already busy schedules. We know that sitting all day can be bad for your health, but sometimes an hour long trip to the gym is not possible. The good news is  research shows that you can offset the risks of sitting too much by going for a brisk 2 minute walk for every hour of sitting. The study indicated that if you can trade at least 2 minutes of sitting for walking, there is a notable decrease in the overall risk of death.

Although these results were positive, Dr. Ren-Fielding emphasizes this is not the same as saying that 2 minutes of exercise an hour is all we need. The important take-away is to keep up your recommended level of activity, and try to fit in 2 minutes of walking, in addition, any time you find yourself sitting for an hour. If you have a long car ride, taking several minutes every hour to briskly walk around can make a difference. A break like this can also clear your mind and give your eyes a rest from looking at a computer screen for too long. Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding points out that the general recommendation for activity is 2.5 hours of moderate exercise each week. Moderate exercise has the benefits of strengthening the heart, muscles, and bones. If you’ve had bariatric surgery, your surgeon and support team will help you understand what type of movement and exercise is best at each stage following your procedure. Walking is a great form of exercise, and we generally get our patients up and walking as soon after surgery as possible.

Research shows that 80% of Americans do not achieve the recommended amount of weekly exercise, but if everyone can fit in the 2 minutes every hour, it is a step in the right direction.