One way to achieve fitness is by exercising, but long sedentary periods can also be risky, healthwise, in spite of physical activity.

When the muscles are inactive for long periods, the fat metabolism, for example, can change into being disadvantageous to one's health, says a Finnish study.

Because of this, it is extremely important to pay attention to the amount of exercise and to reduce the amount of sitting, the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports reported.

Does, for example, going to the gym reduce the time spent on sedentary activities, or should one also find something else to reduce it?

TFinni, P Haakana, AJ Pesola and T. Pullinen from the University of Jyvaskyla's biology department, compared a group of Finnish men and women, adults and the aged, over two days, according to a statement of Suomen Akatemia (Academy of Finland) via AlphaGalileo.

On the first day, they performed some form of physical activity and on the second none at all. Although 30 to 150 minutes of exercise increased energy consumption, it did not decrease muscle inactivity that is, the time spent sitting down.

Results showed that the muscles are inactive about 70% of the day, irrespective of whether the day included any fitness training.