The potential yield of non-exercise physical activity energy expenditure in public health (2015)

Previous work has shown prospective associations between total daily physical activity energy expenditure and various health outcomes including metabolic risk. Limited evidence is available on the health benefits of standing and light-intensity activity. Therefore, these behaviours are not supported in contemporary physical activity guidelines. Moreover, people may be more willing to replace sedentary activities with standing or light activities that can be incorporated into their daily lives, rather than activities of moderate intensity, as there are fewer potential barriers. With the rapid advancement of objective physical activity monitoring there is now potential to explore total daily physical activity energy expenditure in more depth. This article highlights the need for further research into all areas of total daily physical activity energy expenditure, in particular standing and light-intensity activities. Future physical activity guidelines may benefit from the inclusion of recommendations on physical activity energy expenditure rather than solely focusing on activities of a moderate or vigorous intensity.