Is it better to stand still or sit?
Carson Skiles
2025-06-22 12:00:45
Count answers
: 13
To reduce our risk of ill health from inactivity, we are advised to exercise regularly, at least 150 minutes a week, and reduce sitting time. Sitting for long periods is thought to slow the metabolism, which affects the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat. The UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines report on GOV.UK recommends breaking up long periods of sitting time with at least light activity. However, there is currently not enough evidence to set a time limit on how much time people should sit each day. It is thought excessive sitting slows the metabolism – which affects our ability to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, and metabolise fat – and may cause weaker muscles and bones. Adults aged 19 to 64 are advised to try to sit down less throughout the day, including at work, when travelling and at home. Tips to reduce sitting time include stand on the train or bus, take the stairs and walk up escalators, set a reminder to get up every 30 minutes, place a laptop on a box or similar to work standing.
Raleigh Bogan
2025-06-10 16:53:57
Count answers
: 4
It found that standing still for prolonged periods, as opposed to sitting, does not improve cardiovascular health and could increase the risk of issues such as varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis. The key takeaway is that standing for too long will not offset an otherwise sedentary lifestyle and could be risky for some people in terms of circulatory health. Avoid prolonged static standing, which may be as harmful as prolonged sitting. Employees should also alter their posture and undertake light walking to alleviate possible musculoskeletal pain and fatigue as part of the adaptive process. Instead of replacing long periods of sitting with long periods of standing, including plenty of incidental movement throughout the day is recommended. Take regular breaks, walk around, go for a walking meeting, use the stairs, take regular breaks when driving long distances, or use that lunch hour to get away from the desk and do some movement.
Sigrid Schiller
2025-06-10 16:33:58
Count answers
: 7
Sitting for extended periods can increase your chances of a variety of diseases, including dementia, and early death. Sitting has even been termed the new tobacco. Using standing desks reduces sitting time. Standing also burns more calories than sitting. However, health is not just calories and standing also creates its own set of problems. Standing for long periods may lead to back pain, and can increase your chances of getting high blood pressure, varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis. So having the opportunity to both sit and stand may be a solution. Whether you sit or stand, take movement breaks every 20-30 minutes.
Braxton Runolfsdottir
2025-06-10 14:06:39
Count answers
: 10
While sitting, study subjects burned 80 calories/hour — about the same as typing or watching TV. While standing, the number of calories burned was only slightly higher than while sitting — about 88 calories/hour. Walking burned 210 calories/hour. In other words, use of a standing desk for three hours burns an extra 24 calories, about the same number of calories in a carrot. But walking for just a half hour during your lunch break could burn an extra 100 calories each day. Advocates of standing desks point to studies showing that after a meal, blood sugar levels return to normal faster on days a person spends more time standing. And standing, rather than sitting, may reduce the risk of shoulder and back pain. Other potential health benefits of a standing desk are assumed based on the finding that long hours of sitting are linked with a higher risk of obesity diabetes cardiovascular disease cancer. It's also true that certain tasks — especially those requiring fine motor skills — are more accurately performed while seated.
Arne Shanahan
2025-06-10 13:15:59
Count answers
: 12
Neither is substantially better than the other. There are certain merits to both sitting and standing as well as drawbacks, but there are larger factors that weigh into why they can both be bad for you. The best approach is to choose whichever works best for you, and follow some of our tips to minimise any detrimental effects. The best solution really comes down to personal preference, and you should choose the working position that suits you the most. Standing does make it easier to move around more and keeps you on your feet, as well as having the potential to burn marginally more calories. On the other hand, sitting can be better for those that suffer from joint pain as it can help put less pressure on your knee and hip joints. So long as you’re keeping a good posture and moving frequently, you can choose the one that you feel most comfortable with. Don’t stay in one position for too long. Prolonged periods of being stationary are arguably the most detrimental parts of both sitting and standing at work.
Read also
- Is it better to be seated or standing?
- What is an ADHD chair?
- Is it better to sit or stand all day?
- How long is standing too long?
- Is standing good for blood circulation?
- Why do people with ADHD sit strangely?
- What does an ADHD bedroom look like?
- Can standing too long cause high blood pressure?
- Do doctors recommend standing desks?