Prolonged sitting may lead to conditions like sciatica, muscle atrophy, knee pain, type 2 diabetes, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

No matter how busy you are, it is important to take short breaks to lessen the ill effects of prolonged sitting. But while we have often been told to take a quick walk in between work to stay physically fit, turns out squatting may be more effective than walking in interrupting prolonged sitting, as suggested by experts and an April 2024 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.

“Interrupting prolonged sitting with squats (every 45 minutes) is more effective than (30-minute) walking in glycaemic control,” Dr Sudhir Kumar, consultant neurologist, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad wrote on Instagram, further listing prolonged sitting as one of the major risk factors for being overweight, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.

Agreeing, Dr Anup Khatri, senior consultant, orthopedics, Gleneagles Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, said that prolonged sitting may also lead to sciatica, muscle atrophy, knee pain, type 2 diabetes, and carpal tunnel syndrome. “This is why it is important to take frequent breaks and incorporate activities like walking or squatting to interrupt prolonged sitting,” Dr Khatri told indianexpress.com.

According to Dr Kumar, modern lifestyle as well as work necessitates prolonged sitting, which may extend up to 8-12 hours daily, or even more (in some cases).

“Interrupting prolonged sitting with short, intermittent exercises (exercise snacks) have been shown to reduce the risk of adverse health hazards (related to sedentary lifestyle),” he shared.

The study also noted that the intensity of lower limb muscle activation during these interruptions by squatting, particularly in the quads and gluteus muscles, was associated with better glycemic results.

 

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While squatting and walking are equally beneficial, squats specifically target your core muscles while improving flexibility and muscle strength, said Dr Khatri. “However, performing squats may not always be practical especially during office hours or while being outdoors. In this case, walking is the easiest yet effective alternative,” said Dr Khatri.

Taking regular walks around your office areas or home can help break up long periods of sitting and improve overall health.

According to Dr Khatri, even short walks for more than 10 to 20 minutes can make a significant difference in managing problems like muscle weakness, back pain, and leg pain. “Make sure you incorporate more physical activities in your busy schedule such as taking stairs instead of elevators, walking to the workplace or home, and home workouts on weekends,” said Dr Khatri.