Ekelund hopes the results of this study can be used to “inform future public health recommendations,” especially in places like the United States where people are not meeting the minimum guidelines for weekly movement.
The World Health Organization currently recommends 150 minutes per week of physical activity, only half the recommendation of the study. Even that low minimum is difficult to meet in America, where only 21 percent of people achieve it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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As for TV-viewing, movement appears to attenuate the effects of sitting but not completely eliminate them. This can probably be attributed to the other unhealthy behaviors, like snacking or drinking alcohol, that commonly accompany time on the couch, Ekelund said. Because of this, TV should not take up more than a couple hours a day.
While the study only looked at physical exercise and not at other health measures, such as standing desks or inflatable balls, Ekelund said, in his personal opinion, exercise should be the gold standard.
“In the absences of more comprehensive and stronger evidence, the promotion of standing for health is premature and could potentially detract from the established promotion of physical activity,” he said. “So the best current advice should be to continue to recommend physical activity.”
