Research

Hormonal

Interrupting prolonged sedentary periods with light-intensity activity improves postprandial glycemia in adults, independent of total sitting time.

To improve your blood sugar control, do not sit for long periods. Stand up, walk, or move lightly every 30-60 minutes. This 'breaking' of sitting time is more important for glucose control than just reducing your total hours sitting.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
breaks in sedentary periods of at least light intensity may have a positive effect on glycemia but not on lipidemia for adults.
Sébastien Chastin et al. · Obesity · 2015

Why this rating

Based on 9 experimental studies, but quality was mixed with some omitting details on power calculations and randomization.

Source

Meta‐analysis of the relationship between breaks in sedentary behavior and cardiometabolic health

Sébastien Chastin et al. · Obesity · 2015

DOI 10.1002/oby.21180

Meta-analysis · 13 studiesCited 364×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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