Standing

Get a sufficient amount of movement throughout the day. If your day involves a lot of sitting - integrate a standing desk or an active workstation.

Complete this task by reaching your daily standing time goal.

Our bodies are not used to constant sitting or standing. Thus the best way to keep them healthy during the usual 6-8 hours of a sitting-work day would be to spend 50% of it standing. 

It will take you a couple of days to adapt to the new position, so we share a few tips to make the transition easier: 

• Divide total standing time into smaller intervals. Aim at standing 30 - 60 min during one standing session. Standing for a more extended period will not be beneficial as it might invoke unnecessary fatigue and pressure on the spinal cord that could lead to back, neck, and joint pain (the same issues arising from prolonged sitting). 

• Choose a pleasant surface to stand on (e.g., wooden floor, carpet, etc.).

• Be cautious not to lean over or rest on the table. 

• Try active workstations such as treadmilling or cycling.

Impact

Scientists found that people who sat for 8 or more hours a day had a 21% increase in the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease and a 20% increased chance of death due to any cause.

One study showed that standing instead of sitting could be a potential solution for a sedentary lifestyle, preventing weight gain in the long term. 

When standing up, locus coeruleus neurons in our brainstem become more active and release hormones norepinephrine and epinephrin increasing alertness. 

Hormones responsible for sleep and recreation are released when the body is in the horizontal position. Thus standing is not only beneficial for overall cardiovascular health, but it also helps to remain alert and focused too. 

Active workstations proved to be the best solution for better attention and cognitive control while performing work-related tasks.

Frodsham, K. M., Randall, N. R., Carbine, K. A., Rodeback, R. E., LeCheminant, J. D., & Larson, M. J. (2020). Does type of active workstation matter? A randomized comparison of cognitive and typing performance between rest, cycling, and treadmill active workstations. PloS one, 15(8), e0237348. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237348

Saeidifard et al. Differences of energy expenditure while sitting versus standing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/2047487317752186

Li et al. Association of Sitting Time With Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in High-Income, Middle-Income, and Low-Income Countries. JAMA Cardiology 2022. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2022.1581

Saeidifard, F., Medina-Inojosa, J. R., Supervia, M., Olson, T. P., Somers, V. K., Erwin, P. J., & Lopez-Jimenez, F. (2018). Differences of energy expenditure while sitting versus standing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European journal of preventive cardiology, 25(5), 522–538. https://doi.org/10.1177/2047487317752186