You've probably heard that adults should take at least 10,000 steps a day. This one-size-fits-all approach conveys a clear message, even though it ignores the diversity of people's lifestyles and bodies.
Earlier this year, an international team of researchers found that even the most sedentary people could reverse the harmful effects of sitting by incorporating more steps into their daily routine.
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Sedentary lifestyles are becoming more common, and we know that they are associated with higher mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD), higher risk of cancer and diabetes, and shorter life expectancy. These risks are lower in people who move more. But it hasn't been clear whether very sedentary people could offset these worrisome health risks by walking more.
The more steps the people in the study took, regardless of how sedentary they were, the lower the risk of SAS and even premature death. So those of us with desk jobs aren't completely doomed, although the researchers stress that it's still important to try to reduce sitting time overall.
"This is by no means a get out of jail for people who have been sedentary for too long," said population health scientist Matthew Ahmadi of the University of Sydney in Australia. "However, it carries an important public health message that any movement is important and that people can and should try to offset the health effects of unavoidable sedentary time by increasing their daily steps."