Sitting vs. Standing: Settling the debate on workplace health

Most of our days start with sitting on our porcelain seats for a bit, followed by commuting to work, spending long hours of sitting before the computer screen at work, and then at home if you have hobbies that keep you glued to your seat. That’s roughly 12 hours of sitting a day or an average of 60 hours of sitting a week — and I’m sure you know where I’m going with this — which isn’t great for your health.

Now I know what you’re going to think: isn’t the 30-odd minutes of moderate exercise that you try to squeeze into your day enough? The answer, according to new research, is a resounding no. If anything, these seated hours could accelerate your aging process, affecting you in ways you may not expect.

Sitting is the new smoking?

The study, involving over 1,000 individuals, including 730 twins, revealed worrying insights into how prolonged sitting can affect cardiovascular health and increase body mass index (BMI). According to the findings, even meeting the minimum exercise recommendations — around 20 minutes of moderate activity per day — doesn’t offset the risks associated with long hours in a chair.

The study’s senior author, Professor Chandra Reynolds, emphasises that “sitting less throughout the day and getting more vigorous exercise, or a combination of both, may be necessary to reduce premature aging in early adulthood.” Collaborating with Ryan Bruellman, a PhD candidate at UC Riverside, Reynolds aimed to uncover the long-term health consequences of increased sitting post-COVID pandemic.

Is standing the solution?

Are you already scrolling through Amazon, trying to find a standing desk? Don’t bother, because that is probably just as bad. Please don’t throw your phone away and hear me out.

In a complementary study from Australia and the Netherlands led by Matthew Ahmadi, researchers analysed data from the UK Biobank, tracking over 83,000 adults for nearly seven years. This study found that standing for extended periods was no better than sitting in reducing cardiovascular disease risk. In fact, standing for more than two hours a day increased the risk of circulatory diseases by 11% for every extra half hour, while sitting more than ten hours a day raised circulatory disease risk by 26% per additional hour.

Movement is key

The key takeaway from both studies is clear: movement is essential. Simple measures like using a standing desk or taking brief walks are insufficient on their own. Instead, integrating regular vigorous exercise and reducing overall sitting time are crucial steps for Millennials to safeguard their health and stave off premature aging.

Individuals who incorporated 30 minutes of vigorous exercise daily — like running or cycling—showed a notable improvement, with cholesterol and BMI levels comparable to people five to ten years younger. But even this vigorous exercise couldn’t completely negate the damage done by extended sitting, highlighting the importance of breaking up sedentary time with movement throughout the day.

Reynolds emphasises the importance of building healthy habits now to ensure long-term benefits. “This is the time to build habits that will benefit health over the long term,” she advises. Meanwhile, policymakers are urged to revisit physical activity guidelines to better address the risks associated with prolonged sitting.

Ahmadi’s study reinforces that standing alone isn’t a cure-all for the health risks of prolonged sitting. "We’re not seeing risks when someone’s walking around," Ahmadi explains, "but we are when they're standing still, which causes blood pooling in the lower extremities."

Why millennials need to act now

Many young adults might assume they have time on their side, believing they can address health concerns later in life. But as the study’s lead author, Ryan Bruellman, highlights, this critical period has lasting effects. He observed that after the COVID-19 pandemic, sedentary habits increased among his peers, prompting him to investigate the consequences. Bruellman notes that young people often feel they are immune to aging’s impacts, but “what you do during this critical time of life matters.”