Scientists from Columbia University and other institutions have found that taking short walking breaks during the day—specifically a five-minute walk every half hour—can effectively lower both blood sugar and blood pressure.
Long periods of sitting are linked to many negative health outcomes, yet current physical activity guidelines do not clearly state how often sedentary time should be interrupted or how long those breaks should last.
To address this gap, the researchers examined how different patterns of “sedentary breaks” influence metabolic and cardiovascular health.
The study involved eleven middle-aged and older adults who completed five separate eight-hour sessions.
One session required uninterrupted sitting, while the other four introduced light-intensity walking breaks at different intervals: every 30 minutes for one minute, every 30 minutes for five minutes, every 60 minutes for one minute, and every 60 minutes for five minutes.
During each session, blood sugar was measured every 15 minutes and blood pressure every hour.
The results showed that only one routine produced a strong reduction in blood sugar levels: walking for five minutes every 30 minutes.
This pattern clearly outperformed both the uninterrupted sitting condition and the shorter walking breaks.
For blood pressure, all walking routines showed benefits. Systolic blood pressure was consistently lower during every break pattern compared with uninterrupted sitting. The greatest reductions were observed with one minute of walking every hour and with five minutes of walking every half hour.
According to the researchers, these findings provide useful guidance for managing cardiometabolic health in daily life.
Longer and more frequent breaks—such as a five-minute walk every 30 minutes—appear most effective for improving blood sugar control, while even very short walking breaks may be enough to help lower blood pressure.
The study was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and conducted by Andrea T. Duran and colleagues.
