Aug 28, 2015 01:37 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

New research suggests that taking three-minute breaks to walk in the middle of a sedentary activity can improve children's blood sugar compared to continuously sitting, Yahoo News reported.

"Interrupting a long period of sitting with a few minutes of moderate activity can have short-term benefits on a child's metabolism," Jack A. Yanovski, senior author of the study, said in a statement. "While we know getting 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity exercise each day improves children's health and metabolism, small behavioral changes like taking short walking breaks can also yield some benefits."

Researchers revealed that a sedentary lifestyle can put children at risk of developing pediatric obesity and metabolic health problems such as diabetes. Nearly 17 percent of children and teens nationwide are obese, according to the Society's Endocrine Facts and Figures report.

For the study, researchers conducted a randomized crossover trial to examine sedentary behavior and metabolism in 28 normal-weight children who were between 7 and 11 years old, The Business Standard reported. On two different days, the children either sat continuously for three hours or took 3-minute breaks to walk on a treadmill every half hour during that period. The study participants had their blood sugar and insulin levels tested before and after the experiment. The children drank a sugary soda-like drink prior to sitting so that researchers could measure how their bodies processed the sugar.

Researchers found that when children took breaks to walk, their blood sugar and insulin levels were lower than when they sat continuously. The findings indicate the children's bodies were better able to maintain blood sugar levels when their sitting was interrupted.

"Sustained sedentary behavior after a meal diminishes the muscles' ability to help clear sugar from the bloodstream," Britni Belcher, first author of the study, said in a statement. "That forces the body to produce more insulin, which may increase the risk for beta cell dysfunction that can lead to the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Our findings suggest even short activity breaks can help overcome these negative effects, at least in the short term."

The findings are detailed in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

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