Think Training Protects You From Sitting Too Much? Think Again!: Why Exercisers Aren’t Immune to the Impacts of Sedentary Time

Think Training Protects You From Sitting Too Much? Think Again!:

Why Exercisers Aren't Immune to the Impacts of Sedentary Time

We’ve all heard the saying “sitting is the new smoking.” This catchy phrase implies that the amount of time spent sitting or otherwise being sedentary has harmful health effects similar to smoking cigarettes. But is this hyperbolic soundbite backed up by science? And does it apply to regular exercisers and athletes who train hard? In this article, we’ll review some new research suggesting that even for committed gym-goers, limiting sedentary time may still provide health and body composition benefits.

Incorporating more low-level movement through the day can complement your training, potentially leading to small but meaningful improvements in body composition, blood sugar regulation, and other aspects of health.

First, let’s define sedentary behaviour. Sedentary means engaging in activities done while seated or lying down that involve little physical movement. This includes working at a computer, watching TV, playing video games, driving a car, and more. Basically sedentary time is all the hours we spend on our butts outside of sleeping, eating, or doing structured exercise.

Now at first glance, it seems odd to suggest that athletes and regular exercisers who already train hard would be negatively impacted by sedentary time. Don’t all those hours lifting weights, sprinting, swimming, or playing sports counteract the time spent vegging out on the couch binge watching Netflix? Well, emerging research indicates the answer may be “no.”

I can personally relate to this dilemma. Despite working out 5-6 days per week with resistance training, cardio, and mobility work, I spend most of my working time sitting at a desk. A year and a half ago, I decided to start aiming for a certain amount of daily steps to counteract this sedentary time and break it up by interspersing intervals of activity throughout my workday. I also bought an indoor bike so if it’s raining, I can swap walking for slow paced cycling. I even jump on the bike for meetings to avoid just sitting at my desk.

This has contributed to eliminate lower back pain, improved focus and efficiency after each movement break, and maintaining a leaner physique. It just goes to show that even committed exercisers can benefit from limiting sedentary time!

Two Separate Health Signals: Exercise and Sedentary Time

Rather than viewing physical activity as a single continuum from completely sedentary to highly active, newer evidence suggests exercise and sedentary time provide two separate “signals” influencing health. On one hand, doing regular exercise provides benefits like improved cardiovascular fitness, better blood sugar control, reduced inflammation, and favourable changes in body composition.

On the other hand, racking up large amounts of sedentary time appears to be detrimental, even if you also exercise. Some key findings demonstrating this relationship:

A meta-analysis published in 2015 found that individuals with high amounts of moderate to vigorous exercise still had increased risk of mortality if they were also highly sedentary. The lowest risk was seen in those with high physical activity and low sedentary time.
Multiple studies show when participants reduce their steps and increase sedentary time for just a few days, the metabolic benefits of exercise are blunted. An hour of cardio didn’t improve insulin sensitivity or blood lipids as much when preceded by days of prolonged sitting.
The Nurses’ Health Study found that more time watching TV was associated with increased obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and mortality—even among nurses who exercised regularly.

The takeaway is exercising daily doesn’t seem to completely “erase” the negative influence of large amounts of sedentary time on health. But what about for lean, muscular athletes? Does being sedentary really matter for them?

New Research Suggests Sedentary Time Impacts Athletes Too

Here’s where the recent research comes in. A 2021 study published in the European Journal of Sport Science examined associations between sedentary time and body composition in a group of 135 competitive Portuguese athletes from various sports, including powerlifting, gymnastics, track and field, climbing, judo, karate, taekwondo, boxing, rugby, hockey, fencing, rowing, tennis, volleyball, handball, basketball, soccer, futsal, golf, motor biking, surfing, swimming, water polo, trampoline, and triathlon.

Study Methods:

65 female and 70 male athletes were assessed, competing at national and international levels

Athletes completed questionnaires on training volume and sedentary behaviours

Body composition was measured via DXA scans

Statistical analysis calculated relationships between sedentary time and body fat/lean mass

Key Findings:

More training time was linked to lower body fat percentage and trunk fat

But higher overall sedentary time predicted higher trunk and total body fat, after adjusting for training volume and other factors

Screen time (especially cell phone use) was most strongly associated with less favourable body composition

Now this doesn’t prove cause and effect. Perhaps leaner athletes simply move more and sit less. However, combined with the other evidence above, it suggests sedentary behaviour likely impacts fat levels and metabolic health separately from exercise, even in those who lift weights and have higher muscle mass.

If you currently spend a large portion of your non-training time sitting or lounging, how might you change your daily habits to reduce sedentary time based on these findings?

Practical Implications

What does this mean for regular exercisers? First, it’s essential to note that compared to sedentary people, athletes and regular exercises following a solid training program are still far healthier, even if they spend ample time resting between sets scrolling Instagram. But relative to other active people, being highly sedentary may make it tougher to get and stay leaner and reach optimal health.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take drastic changes to counteract sedentary time:

Shoot for 7000-9000 steps per day. This can be achieved by taking 1-2 twenty minute walks, parking farther away, taking stairs, etc.

Even going from ~2500 to 5000 steps daily may provide benefits.

Reduce recreational screen time when possible, especially mindless phone scrolling.

Set a timer or reminder to get up and move for a few minutes each hour when you have to sit for prolonged periods.

Walk or bike to destinations close enough to reach in 15-30 minutes when feasible.

Incorporating more low-level movement through the day can complement your training, potentially leading to small but meaningful improvements in body composition, blood sugar regulation, and other aspects of health.

Which of the practical tips above do you think you could implement to reduce sedentary time without impacting your lifestyle too much?

Will Reducing Sedentary Time Really Make a Difference?

At this point, you may still be sceptical that small decreases in sedentary time will really impact health or leanness. That’s understandable. Even in the Portuguese athlete study, while statistically significant, the direct effects of sedentary time on body fat percentage were relatively small, explaining around 3-9% of the variance. This indicates other factors like nutrition and training volume play much larger roles.

However, there are good reasons to think curbing sedentary habits can positively influence health:

Emerging evidence suggests the mechanisms by which exercise provides health benefits may involve changes in gene expression regulating processes like mitochondrial biogenesis. These gene expression changes seem to be reversed when people are sedentary for many hours in between exercise bouts.

In addition to potential molecular mechanisms, being less sedentary logically increases total daily energy expenditure, making it easier to maintain a calorie deficit if desired.

Getting more steps through NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) may also improve appetite regulation. Prolonged sitting is linked to increased hunger hormones and overeating.

How to Be Less Sedentary as someone who already exercises regularly?

Here are some tips to incrementally reduce sedentary time that work well for busy exercisers:

Walk More: Start by adding one twenty minute walk, either first thing in the morning, at lunch, or after dinner. Gradually work up to getting two walks per day. Walking 10K+ steps daily is ideal if possible. Going from 5000 to 7500 steps makes the most impact. I personally have built up to at least 12K steps a day and I find brisk walking after meals very beneficial – It helps accelerate digestion, so I don’t feel too full once I get back to my desk and It counters potential lethargy after a meal.
Set Active Reminders: Get a fitness tracker or download an app to remind you to move every hour when working or relaxing at home. Even short two-minute movement breaks add up.
Take Activity Breaks: Between sets at the gym, walk around or practice mobility drills—anything other than sitting.
Reduce Recreational Screen Time: Be more intentional about when you choose to watch TV, play video games, or scroll social media. Schedule and limit screen entertainment to certain times rather than doing it by default.
Change Commuting Habits: Walk or bike to nearby destinations instead of driving when practical. Park farther away and walk if driving is required. Take public transportation and walk to stops.
Stand More: Get a standing desk attachment for working on a laptop or tablet at home. Stand during phone calls or while watching TV. Do micro-workouts (lunges, air squats, push-ups, etc).
Set Activity Goals: Aim for a step target, walking time, or number of standing hours. Gradually increase goals over time. Log activity to stay accountable.

Making even small, incremental changes to be on your feet more often during the day can reduce the potential negative impact of sedentary time. Think of it as “life gains” that complement the benefits from exercise.

The Bottom Line

Current evidence suggests sedentary behaviour likely negatively impacts metabolic health and body composition, independent of time spent exercising. However, the effects tend to be relatively small, and regular lifting, sports, and cardio still provide robust benefits. By targeting 7000-9000 daily steps and limiting recreational screen time, you can hedge your bets, getting the benefits of your gym sessions while also counteracting sedentariness. Standing up more and taking short activity breaks during long sitting periods helps too. Small changes add up to big rewards over time.

After reading this article, has your perspective changed on the impact of sedentary time?

If like me, you have already incorporated mode daily movement into your day, have you noticed benefits from reducing sedentary time while keeping your exercise program the same? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Additional Resources

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