Do you spend much of your day sitting? Do you realize that the more you sit, the more likely you are to develop diabetes and to have a stroke or heart attack and to die, according the results of a large number of studies? See http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/10/15/sitting-increases-health-risks-sitting-desks_n_1966154.html?just_reloaded=1.
In reaction to these findings, for several weeks I have tried to stand when I watch TV. That effort has decreased my sitting by a few hours a week. This past week I had my first standing meeting — with a student. Students, with their interest in learning, are game for such things.We talked about a research project while drinking tea standing at a counter in the department tea room. I also had a lengthy phone conversation at work while standing. At a long meeting I attended, I went for a walk after an hour. After two hours, I stood until we finished. In the future, I hope to have walking meetings where a visitor and I walk around campus while we talk. I plan to stand most of the time when I attend long meetings. When I lead a meeting, I will propose that we meet standing. I have a feeling that change will have the side benefit of leading to meetings that last half as long as before, with just as much accomplished. When the university next provides me with a new computer, I will ask for one that can be adjusted for use standing or sitting. Stay tuned to this channel for the outcome of these experiments in standing.
Anyone out there trying to sit less? How?
John Malouff, PhD, JD
Assoc Prof of Psychology
Hi John,
I have done the ‘standing meeting’ thing – it worked very well. My aim was to reduce the duration of a particular daily meeting, and to reduce the distracting (and irrelevant) ‘sidebar’ conversations. Not allowing the participants to sit achieved that within a single session, and maintained it indefinitely (I moved on after 2 years, not sure if they continued the practice).
I got the idea from an article about Donald Rumsfeld, as defence secretary he had no chairs in his office at all. I’m not a fan of the chap, but the idea stuck with me. I had never considered the incidental health benefits!
I saw recently a computer hooked to a treadmill, you have to walk for it to function – what a top idea! Here’s a DIY version: http://www.treadmill-desk.com/
Cheers,
Adam
Hi Adam. An office without chairs is a new idea to me! So is the computer that works only if the person walks. I used to want to have our home TV work only if someone pedaled an exercise bike, but I never got around to setting that up. I come closest to that arrangement when I stand while watching TV.
I’ve heard there is a computer game for kids that only works when they peddle a bike for 15 minutes first (or something along those lines). Not a bad use of tech if the kid’s already a gamer!
Adam
I sit a lot during the day while studying. I also watch tv at night or read and that is done while loafing on the couch. I would like to change my habits but not sure how to study a different way. And maybe I could stand while watching tv or reading but not sure how comfortable I would be. Any suggestions would be geatly appreciated.
Hi Di. You can vary watching TV while standing with stretching and doing other exercises, like lifting dumbells or doing stomach crunches. You can also alternate standing and sitting (that’s what I do when I am tired). It helps to have the right floor conditions for standing, e.g., a good rug or mat. Cushy shoes, slippers, or flip-flops can also help. I usually wear cushy sandals. Using an exercise bike is another option — that could go well with reading, where you need to keep your head steady. Reading while standing for long periods is not plesant if you have to hold the book in your hands. If you can place the book on something the right height, that can work. I sometimes read while walking somewhere (I put the book down when crossing a street). In some cultures individuals tend to squat rather than to sit or stand upright. It looks hard, but I suspect that we all do what we do out of habit more than for any other reason. So I will give squatting a go — I’ll try something new and see what happens!
Hi everyone,
This subject is of huge interest to me, so I’d like to add a little info you might find interesting and helpful too. Firstly, Adam love the treadmill desk idea! Not sure I wouldn’t get a bit of vertigo using one though? I have a treadmill that I use when it’s not appropriate weather to walk outside & I’ve put some journal articles or texts on the stand to read…but I must admit, I find it difficult. Maybe I just need to perservere?
A number of years ago I injured my back, neck and shoulder in a fall. I’ve struggled since. One of my biggest problems is the inability to sit (comfortably) for any length of time. But, equally standing and walking is not easy or pleasant either. So, I’ve become very good at managing my sit/stand/stretch/move regime because I’ve had no choice (other than horrid pain).
The evidence now is excellent on just how bad sitting is for you. As John’s heading suggests…it can kill!
“Sitting for long periods of time — when you don’t stand up, don’t move at all — tends to cause changes physiologically within your muscles,” says Reynolds. “You stop breaking up fat in your bloodstream, you start getting accumulations of fat … in your liver, your heart and your brain…”
But, the good news is that you only need to stand and move for 2 minutes every 20 minutes to gain the necessary benefits.
“…standing for two minutes every 20 minutes while desk-bound — even if you can’t move around your office. “That sounds so simple, but that actually has profound consequences. If you can stand up every 20 minutes — even if you do nothing else — you change how your body responds physiologically.”
The above info was shown beautifully on a Catalyst program (ABC) last year :
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3568627.htm
and in this article:
http://www.npr.org/2012/05/09/152336802/stand-up-walk-around-even-just-for-20-minutes
Hi Susan. I stood through an entire 100-minute staff meeting Friday. The others sat the whole time. Every year I do a behaviour modification project on myself, parallel with my BMod students doing a behaviour-change project. This year I will try to reduce substantially the amount of time I spend sitting.
Wonderful, but geez…100-minutes, wow, now that sounds exhausting John! I look forward to hearing how you go in your behaviour-change project of sitting less. What BMod methods do you anticipate using? Seems to me that self-control is the big winner (as with nearly all beavioural changes I guess). A combination of positive and negative reinforcement perhaps? Set a timer and if you go over it…you forego something you wanted, but if you actually limit yourself successfully you get a reward?
Hi John
Here are a couple more standing v. sedentary links, with internal links, in case you were building an archive of standing links. Thanks to your blog, I’ve been standing for around 4 months now. I thought about it, read the literature, then just put some shelves under my desk to try it out. I’m so into it, I’ll be making a permanent standing desk in the future. I find it more productive. When I approach my work area, standing seems somehow more engaging. And there’s all this space underneath for storage. Thanks for the vertical inclination.
Michael
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/25/135575490/sitting-all-day-worse-for-you-than-you-might-think
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-sitting-all-day-is-killing-you/
Thanks!