Sitting Study: Any Stationary Posture Detrimental to Health

A new study suggests that sitting down for long periods of time is not bad for health as long as people exercise regularly.

The study, conducted by University of Exeter and the University College of London, was published online in the International Journal of Epidemiology. The results were based on following more than 5,000 people over a 16-year period, reported The Guardian.

"Our study overturns current thinking on the health risks of sitting and indicates that the problem lies in the absence of movement rather than the time spent sitting itself," said Melvyn Hillsdon in a release from the University of Exeter's Sports and Health Science.

"Any stationary posture where energy expenditure is low may be detrimental to health, be it sitting or standing. The results cast doubt on the benefits of sit-stand work stations, which employers are increasingly providing to promote healthy working environments," said Hillsdon.

Participants involved in the study, one of the longest follow-up examinations done on the effects of sitting, gave researchers information on their total sitting time along with specific aspects of their behavior, such as sitting for work, leisure, and watching television, along with physical activity.

"Sitting time was not associated with all-cause mortality risk," said the study. "The results of this study suggest that policy makers and clinicians should be cautious about placing emphasis on sitting behavior as a risk factor for mortality that is distinct from the effect of physical activity."

Richard Pulsford, the lead author of the study, said the research, though, is not saying that people should ignore exercising and other physical activities either.

"Our findings suggest that reducing sitting time might not be quite as important for mortality risk as previously publicized and that encouraging people to be more active should still be a public health priority." 

The Washington Post reported that a previous study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine this year suggested that people should stand, move or take breaks for two years out of an eight-hour day.


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