Of all residents over the age of 15, 26 percent sit for more than 8.5 hours a day. According to TNO, there is no country in Europe like the Netherlands where such a large proportion of the population sits for so many hours a day. By comparison, in the rest of Europe, only 11 percent of residents sit that many hours in a day.
VU in Motion
VU in Motion aims to get employees and students to move a little more on and around the VU Campus. It has been scientifically proven that (more) movement leads to (more) physical and mental health. VU is also part of the sitting culture that has almost replaced natural movement worldwide. And we want to change that! Each week we will provide a tip or a fun fact to encourage you to meet one of the three movement guidelines. These guidelines for adults and seniors are as follows:
- Movement is good; more movement is better. Do at least 150 (preferably 210) minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, spread over several days.
- Do 2-3x/week an intensive(er) workout of 30-60 min, focusing on strength and conditioning, for the elderly additionally combined with balance exercises.
- And, avoid sitting still! In other words, half an hour of movement/sports a day cannot compensate for the damage of further prolonged sitting still. 2 minutes of moderate-intensity movement every 20 minutes has very positive effects.