Any activity - including sleeping - is better for you than sitting down, study says

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Any activity, even sleeping or standing, is better for your heart than sitting down, according to a new study. This research suggests that even a few minutes of exercise per day could help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

The study found that swapping time spent sitting down for exercise led to better cholesterol levels, helped people maintain a healthy weight, and resulted in a smaller waist circumference.

The findings, published in the European Heart Journal and supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), discovered that when "as little as four to 12 minutes per day were reallocated (from sedentary behaviour) into moderate to vigorous physical activity" there were benefits across all such measures.

The authors stated: "Conversely, a greater proportion of time spent sedentary was detrimentally associated with all outcomes." Examples of moderate activity can include brisk walking (4mph or faster), heavy cleaning like washing windows or mopping, cycling at 10-12mph, or playing badminton. READ MORE: 'My baby's been in hospital nine times...