Exploring Sedentary Behaviour

In this step, you will learn about sedentary behaviour and how to reduce it.

Sedentary behaviour is defined as “any waking activity characterized by an energy expenditure ≤ 1.5 metabolic equivalents and a sitting or reclining posture”. (Sedentary Behaviour Research Network, 2012).

• For example, it is possible to be both physically active and sedentary. If you achieve 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week, but you also spend prolonged periods of time being sedentary every day, you can be considered both physically active and sedentary.

It is especially important to discourage prolonged sedentary behaviour in children, since we know that sedentary behaviour increases with age, and a sedentary child is likely to become a sedentary adult (Biddle et al, 2010).

There is an international consensus that people of all ages “should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods” (Department of Health, 2011). However, unlike physical activity, few organisations have given specific recommendations, for example, by stating that sedentary periods of greater than two hours should be interrupted. We will be exploring these recommendations in greater detail in Step 1.16.

Tips for Reducing Sedentary Behaviour

• If you have a desk job, set an alarm to remind yourself to get up every hour. Simply walking to a water fountain or the photocopier can help.
• Target the whole family (including parents, brothers and sisters) when trying to reduce sedentary behaviour among children or adolescents.
• Ensure a reduction in one sedentary activity is not simply replaced by another (e.g. half an hour of television viewing is cut but replaced by computer use).
• Encourage active transport to school/work.

Your Task

• Do you think there should be specific recommendations about the amount of sedentary time children should engage in?
• What barriers might stand in the way of children reducing their sedentary behaviour to periods of less than two consecutive hours?