Combining Physical Activity and Sedentary Interventions to Improve Cardiometabolic Health

Combining Physical Activity and Sedentary Interventions to Improve Cardiometabolic Health

Many adults spend a large part of their day sitting, especially at work. Long periods of sitting and not moving enough can increase the risk of health problems such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This risk is even higher in people who have early warning signs like being overweight, having high blood pressure, or problems with blood sugar. Together, these problems are called metabolic syndrome.

The goal of this study is to find out whether combining regular exercise with reducing sitting time during the day can improve heart and metabolic health more than exercise alone.

About 40 adults between 18 and 65 years old who work mainly at a desk and sit for more than 9 hours a day will take part. All participants will first continue their normal daily routine for two weeks. After that, they will be randomly placed into one of two groups for eight weeks:

Exercise group: Participants will follow the World Health Organization guidelines for physical activity. This includes two sessions of moderate exercise each week (such as brisk walking or cycling) and one session of more intense exercise each week.

Exercise plus less sitting group: Participants will do the same exercise program, but they will also be encouraged to sit less during the workday. They will be asked to stand more, use sit-stand desks if possible, and avoid sitting for longer than one hour at a time.

Participants will visit the research center three times for health tests. These tests include blood samples to look at blood sugar, insulin, and fats in the blood, measurements of blood pressure and heart function, body composition scans, fitness tests, and questionnaires about sleep, diet, and quality of life. They will also wear activity monitors to measure how much they sit, stand, and move.

The main outcome is how the body handles sugar (insulin sensitivity). The researchers hope to learn whether sitting less, in addition to exercising, leads to better improvements in heart and metabolic health. The results may help develop better lifestyle advice to prevent heart disease and diabetes in people with desk jobs.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 to 65 years
• Profession where most of the time is spent sitting.
• Not regularly physically active (>3 trainings per week in the last three months)
• Sedentary (on average >9 hours per day spent sedentary on a working day)
• Written informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy.
• Consumption of more than 20 units of alcohol per week.
• Medical conditions that limit physical activity.
• Specific diet (e.g. low-carbohydrate or calorie-restricted).
• Unstable body weight in the past month.
• Participation in another study that could potentially affect your blood parameters in the past month.