PUT YOUR FEET UP

Standing at a Desk Isn’t Much Better Than Sitting, New Study Says

Maybe it’s time to ditch that standing desk?

A pleasing new study suggests that standing for long stretches of time is basically as bad for a person’s health as sitting. That, as The Washington Post points out, could make standing desks sort of pointless. Looking at fitness tracker data from more than 83,000 men and women in the U.K. Biobank, researchers were able to determine how much of each day participants spent sitting, standing, or moving. Cross-checking with U.K. medical databases, they then looked at hospitalizations and deaths for cardiovascular issues within their sample, and their medical outcomes. While people who spent 10 or more hours per day sitting were at least 13 percent more likely to have heart problems within seven years, and 26 percent more likely to develop circulatory issues, the numbers were only marginally better for people who spent big chunks of their days standing. Remaining upright yet stationary for two-plus hours a day appeared to raise rates of circulatory disorders by about 11 percent and didn’t lower the cardio risks. The key to better health is apparently getting up and moving around at regular intervals throughout the day, which I guess is your excuse to go chat with your co-worker.