We all need an occasional "time out" from the daily routine. Though a great deal on an all-inclusive tropical vacation or adventure package may save you big time, a vacation from your active lifestyle may cost you more than you'd think.
It turns out just two weeks of sedentary behavior is enough to start the process of muscle loss and fat development around organs in young, healthy individuals. That's right, young and healthy individuals.
A short-term study done on healthy volunteers that were neither overweight nor diabetic showed small but significant changes after a short period of limited physical activity. For two weeks, volunteers made less active choices, such as taking the elevator instead of the stairs, or taking the bus instead of walking home.
Researchers observed an increase in factors that heighten the risk of several diseases - especially heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In just two weeks, they lost about one pound of lean muscle mass and gained body fat.
The body fat gained was mostly the kind of body fat that develops around organs such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines. As opposed to subcutaneous fat that builds up under the skin, this visceral fat builds up in the abdominal cavity and is associated with insulin resistance and increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.
Less and Less Fitness
Fitness levels also dropped in two short weeks. Volunteers selected for the study walked an average of 10,000 steps each day. During the study they reduced their physical ac tivity to around 1,500 steps each day.
After two weeks, they lost their ability to run at the same intensity as they had before. One measure - mitochondrial function - also dropped. This tests the efficiency with which cells regulate energy.
Were the changes irreversible? According to researchers, the changes reversed and returned to normal within two weeks of going back to an active lifestyle. Other experts, however, believe that many of these changes will not always reverse and may actually remain permanently.
What do the Results Tell Us?
Though the results of this study may seem obvious, what really stands out is what little time it took for a switch back to a sedentary life to produce those negative changes in health.
Sedentary lifestyles are likely to increase. Technology, public transportation, and automobiles - a major part of day-to-day lives - has put us in front of screens and in seats for the greater part of each day.
The antidote? An active lifestyle. An active lifestyle, though, is about more than just hitting the gym several times a week. In fact, a few workouts each week (regardless of intensity) will not be as helpful at preventing the negative trends seen in the study if a person still has an overall sedentary lifestyle.
When high amounts of sedentary time co-exist with some instances of physical activity, we do not reap as many benefits from physical activity. This phenomenon has recently been named the Active Couch Potato.
An active lifestyle is about breaking up any sedentary time that exists throughout the day and week. We need to be active throughout the day and need to prevent long periods of inactivity.
While it is likely better to be an "active" couch potato rather than a complete couch potato, the key to health and disease prevention is regular exercise and regular movement. Yes, a break from your active lifestyle is one vacation you don't want to take.
REFERENCES
Kelly Bowden-Davies, M.Sc., Institute of Aging and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, U.K.; Minisha Sood, M.D., endocrinologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; May 17, 2017, presentation, European Congress on Obesity, Porto, Portugal
Reinberg, S. (2017, May). Just 2 Weeks on the Couch Can Trigger Body's Decline. Retrieved May 25, 2017, from http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=35
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