Being healthier may be found in something as simple as standing
more and sitting less at work, says a recent study.
Replacing sitting time with standing time appeared to
improve sugar, fat and cholesterol levels in the blood, researchers wrote in
the European Heart Journal. The findings suggest that making small changes to a
sedentary lifestyle can have a big impact on health, and that you don’t need to
go as far as taking up marathon running. A study of near 800 men and women in
Australia revealed a clear association between less sitting and better health.
“An extra two hours per day spent standing rather than
sitting was associated with approximately two percent lower average fasting
blood sugar levels and 11% lower average triglycerides (fats in the blood)”
said a press statement.
Replacing two hours of sitting time with actual activity in
the form of stepping was even better, with lower blood fat and sugar scores as
well as an 11% lower average Body Mass Index and 7.5 centimeter smaller average
waist circumference. Adults in today’s world are highly sedentary, with average
self-reported sitting time ranging from 3.2 to 6.8 hours per day in Europe. Said
the study. But there has been little research into the potential benefits of
standing, as opposed to moving, to replace sitting.
In an editorial published with the study, Francisco
Lopez-Jimenez of the Mayo College of Medicine in Minnesota said it showed that “the
fight against sedentary behavior cannot be won based only on the promotion of
regular exercise.”
