Sitting the rest of the day wipes out the benefit of an hour of vigorous exercise

Adding to the evidence demonstrating the marked metabolic impairment caused by sitting most of the day (and the benefit of sit-stand desks), research recently published in PLoS One (Public Library of Science) shows that the benefit of a full hour of exercise is wiped out by sitting the rest of the day...One hour of daily physical exercise cannot compensate for the negative effects of inactivity on insulin sensitivity and plasma lipids if the rest of the day is spent sitting. Reducing inactivity by low intensity activities such as walking at a leisurely pace and standing is more effective than physical exercise in improving these parameters in sedentary subjects. Our study suggests that in addition to health interventions that stress the importance of spending enough energy to maintain a neutral energy balance, a minimal daily amount of non-sitting time should also be promoted.