A new study has found that spending too much time sitting during childhood and teenage years can raise blood pressure as kids grow into adults.
But there’s good news: doing light physical activity each day can help keep blood pressure at healthy levels.
The study was done by researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Exeter in the UK and the University of Eastern Finland. It followed 2,513 children over 13 years, starting when they were 11 years old and continuing until they were 24.
The researchers checked their physical activity and blood pressure at different times to understand how movement affects heart health in the long run.
At the start of the study, children spent about six hours a day sitting or lying down, six hours doing light activities like walking or house chores, and nearly one hour doing more intense activities like sports.
But as they got older, their time spent sitting increased to nine hours per day, and their light activity dropped to just three hours. The time they spent doing moderate-to-vigorous exercise stayed about the same at 50 minutes a day.
As sedentary time increased, blood pressure also went up. While some of the rise in blood pressure was expected with age, the researchers found that spending more than six hours a day sitting added an extra 4 mmHg to systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading).
This matters because high blood pressure can lead to serious problems like heart attacks and strokes later in life.
One of the most interesting findings was about light physical activity, or LPA. Activities like walking, doing chores, or riding a bike slowly had a strong effect in lowering blood pressure. Kids who did more LPA had 3 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure by the time they reached young adulthood.
Surprisingly, more intense exercise did not show the same benefit for blood pressure. In fact, it was linked to a slight increase, possibly because building muscle can naturally raise blood pressure.
The researchers used simulations to test different scenarios. They found that if a child replaced just 10 minutes of sitting every hour with light movement, their systolic blood pressure could go down by 3 mmHg and their diastolic (bottom number) by 2 mmHg.
That’s important because even a small drop in blood pressure can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. For example, lowering systolic blood pressure by just 5 mmHg can cut the risk of these conditions by 10%.
This study is the biggest and longest one to explore how movement affects blood pressure in young people. It shows how important it is to get kids moving—not just in sports, but in everyday activities. Simple things like walking more, helping around the house, or biking can make a big difference.
Dr. Andrew Agbaje, one of the lead researchers, said these results are a wake-up call. He believes that light physical activity should be encouraged in schools, homes, and communities as an easy way to protect kids’ heart health.
The World Health Organization warns that by 2030, there could be 500 million new cases of diseases caused by lack of movement—and half of those may be linked to high blood pressure. That’s why it’s so important to encourage kids to stay active every day.
Parents, teachers, and leaders can all play a part. If kids spend less time sitting and more time moving—even just lightly—it could help them stay healthier as they grow up.
This research was published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle and adds to growing evidence that small changes in our daily habits can have a big effect on long-term health.
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