A study from the University of Queensland suggests that people who spend more time per day standing or stepping, rather than sitting, have better markers of cardiometabolic health.
The authors recruited 698 people who were taking part in the population-based Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study and analysed their mean daily time spent sitting/lying down, standing and stepping, using a posture-based activity monitor, over a period of 1 week.
On average, a day comprised around 16 waking hours, of which 8.8 hours were spent sitting, 4.9 hours standing, 2.0 hours stepping and 1.2 hours stepping in moderate to vigorous physical activity (brisk walking or more).
After adjustment for relevant confounders, each 2-hour increase in time spent standing rather than sitting was associated with a 2% reduction in fasting plasma glucose levels, an 11% reduction in triglyceride levels, a 6% reduction in total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio and a 0.06-mmol/L increase in HDL-cholesterol levels (P<0.05 for all comparisons). Similarly, each increase in time spent stepping rather than sitting was associated with an 11% reduction in BMI, a 7.5-cm reduction in waist circumference, an 11% reduction in 2-hour plasma glucose levels, a 14% reduction in triglyceride levels and a 0.10-mmol/L increase in HDL-cholesterol levels. Reallocation of standing time to stepping time further reduced BMI by around 10%, waist circumference by 7 cm and 2-hour plasma glucose levels by 11%.
The authors note that this cross-sectional study cannot be used to infer causality; however, they highlight a number of small interventional studies that are in line with these results and call for large-scale studies of active intervention to reduce sedentary time. Commenting on the study, Julie Ward, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We know that people who spend long periods of time sitting down have been found to have higher rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. National guidelines state we should reduce the time we spend sitting and this study adds to the increasing amount of evidence to support this.
“We are not saying you mustn’t sit down. But when you are, break up sitting down for long periods of time. A common sense rule of thumb is to get up for 5 minutes every half an hour. You can also reduce your sitting time at work by holding walking meetings, getting outside at lunchtime and simply taking 5 minutes to stand up and stretch.”
Genevieve Healy, the lead study author, boiled the authors’ message down to a simple slogan: “Stand Up, Sit Less, Move More.”
The study can be read in the European Heart Journal here.
