Study Says You Shouldn't Take Long Breaks From
Being Active A new study says there can be metabolic consequences for people who temporarily cut back on their physical activity. For the study, researchers at the University of Liverpool in England asked 45 adult men and women to abruptly start sitting more. The subjects had previously been active, walking for more than 10,000 steps on most days. Volunteers were told to cut their daily steps to below 2,000 and sit for more than three and a half additional hours each day for
two weeks. Results show almost all developed what the scientists called “metabolic derangements” during their two weeks of being still. Their blood sugar levels rose, insulin sensitivity declined and their cholesterol profiles become less healthy. In addition they also lost a little muscle mass in their legs while gaining fat around their abdomens. Thankfully, most of these derangements were reversed once the men and women became active again.
