Sitting vs. Standing. Is Your Sedentary Life Killing You?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ส.ค. 2015
- Is sitting bad for you? It turns out, sitting is really, really bad for you. Sitting at your desk could shorten your life. So get up and walk around, OK?
Last week I talked about the many ways exercise is awesome. This week I want to focus on one way it's not. Weight loss. Sorry, but that's the topic of this week's Healthcare Triage.
Those of you who want to read more can go here: theincidentaleconomist.com/wor...
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That was information overload. Let me sit down for a while.
+Karan Chaphekar
You're better standing up and walking around while musing abound it.
+Karan Chaphekar Take up smoking. Then you'll have a great reason to get up and walk around frequently.
Nooooo!
so why are you sitting matie
Whyy? you wanna die sooner? Get used to standing to process things. Everytime you have to solve a problem in your head just sit up, make a habit of it.
As someone in a wheelchair, unable to stand.... this makes me wanna cry.
OurPeanutGallerie Yeah, I think they really screwed up the message for this episode.
+OurPeanutGallerie Are you immobile, in a motorised wheelchair? Then you already know your health isn't the best.
Are you wheeling yourself around with your arms? That is probably equivalent to walking in many respects. The research did not cover people in your situation.
+Correctrix well not really standing is standing... he did say exercise didnt have any effect on it...
+Correctrix well maybe it should.
+BillyxRansom I'm pretty sure the studies didn't look at disabled people at all, so who knows?
I've been wanting to buy one of those fancy desks that have a button to switch between sitting and standing height. They are expensive, but I think it's worthwhile to invest into your long-term health.
as someone who paces tons, i find this information comforting rather than scary. which is good because i don't think i need anymore stress as i hear that's killing me
CynicatPro It's actually not. TED had a conversation on this. Stress is only as harmful to you as you believe it to be.
It sounds like advertisement of Apple Watch :D "you will die if you are sitting, but dont worry - your Apple watch will tell you when to stand up!".
Also - notion that it is better to smoke then sit is just hilarious. Go "science"...
What about laying down instead of sitting
That's my question too.
E Noori Laying down is basically the same as sitting; it just involves even less physical activity
E Noori I think NASA just did a study about that, where they paid people to lie down for over 2 months.
HappyMan's Hacker Reports based on what?
+HappyMan's Hacker Reports sleeping is killing us
My parents are always complaining that I should sit down instead of pacing around. HAH! Screw that!
😂😂
See, the problem with that is that most of my work has to be done on a full-sized computer with a real keyboard.
Standup desk
skyfooty Good ones are pretty expensive tho :(
That's my concern too. Many office jobs don't encourage/accommodate for short breaks. Desk jobs may involve full attendance until work completion. I am fortunate enough to give myself these breaks when I need it. My mom on the other hand has a desk job that requires her to stay for hours until a break comes up.
***** I tend to do that anyways, plus I've got about thirty minutes a day for jogging.
***** Look up some DIY options. There's a massive amount of examples online of people doing their own thing, ranging from super simple projects to let-me-build-my-own-desk difficult. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good (unless your boss explicitly prohibits the good, in which case I am sorry).
Watched this while sitting. Then I died.
[*burns chair*]
Great job! The videos are always so pretty and simple to understand.
Love the topics related to sedentarism, exercise and diets.
Will support on Patreon as soon as possible
I have always watched your show while walking around...
Hope that makes you feel any better
What about people with disabilities who physically can't stand and walk around a lot?
JuliaGee Unless your capabilities for physical activity aren't limited to typing, you could exercise them? Or better yet consult with a doctor? This was a PSA aimed at general population.
***** On average per hour stand up and walk around for 10 min. More is better, but that should do.
Be really fidgety instead! Do mild exercise every hour. Should be a decent substitute.
***** It's ok just try your hardest to stand. Like drinking more water so you pee more (lol). Seriously though, tea is like peeing rampage. Simply things like standing up during TV commercials or only let yourself watch a movie if you walk the neighbors dog. Think out of the box to be productive and healthy. Perhaps you could ask your teacher for a 10 min. exercise break per day? My gym teacher helped enforce this in my school. If you need some tips, I'd be perfectly happy to help.
Great! It never hurts to ask. :) Just tell her all the bad side effects of sitting. :P
I never knew that sitting could be so bad for you, little alone deadly! The numbers of the mortalities from people who barely sat to those who sat almost all of the time were truly astonishing. I know that I never thought about how bad sitting could be for you because we do it so much and its just a natural thing. As a college student, I have five classes that I am currently enrolled in, all between 2-3 hours long, and twice a week, that's a lot of sitting just right there! Whenever I get spare time I often like to sit and watch TV for an hour or so to just to relax. The statistic of sitting and watching an hour of TV could be compared to taking 21.8 minutes off of my life blew my mind! I believe that everyone needs to get up and be active for at least a half hour to an hour a day. After watching this video, I will probably try to make some changes to my everyday life so I am not sitting as much. When I am studying, I could always stand up and go over my notes and note cards. When I am doing homework, I could stand up and take a break for a little bit. I think that everyone could find ways to not sit as much to benefit their health now and in the long run.
Are there stats on people with standing/walking jobs like retail? Never been really all that sure that standing for 8+ hrs a day (minus a break) is really all that great.
I wonder if the key thing is aerobic movement - I know that I feel like shit after I've been on my feet for hours at, say, a museum (where there's minimal aerobic activity), whereas walking a few miles wears me out but doesn't seem to put the same stress on my body/back/feet, etc.
@@GreenGretel Movement is key, any static position for prolonged periods is bad IMO
I worked as cashier for 8 hours a day with a 30min sitting break. I literally had to give up running because my feet and legs were so sore. Then I moved to hosting, and I walked way more and infrequent intervals and my legs felt way better than just purely standing.
Thank you for this video. I converted my desk at work to a standing desk and spend more than 75% of my work day standing now. I do walk periodically to the restroom, to get water, or talk to colleagues, but it's more as-needed than at periodic intervals.
Have there been studies you could highlight regarding standing desks over sitting without changes in activity? I'm really not walking away from my desk more often, but I am hoping the standing is enough to have some good, worthwhile impact.
Great presentation and video
Great video. Concise and to the point.
I've been walking around while listening to this TH-cam video while I clean. Motivated me to keep moving!
What about the fact that whatever the factors that make a person vulnerable to all these diseases causes them to sit a lot?
Oh my gosh, +Healthcare Triage, I think I was a participant in one of those activity/meal replacement studies!
It's funny you said that at the end, because this video reminded me to stand up more, so I started jogging around my room while listening to the video!
Wow I found this video very informational, this is something i feel most adults would not be aware of and even if they were they would not take yield to. I believe the research done is as well very significant but I feel as though looking into the diets of those sedentary could also have a big part to play in the health risks. I feel as though we live in this generation that is now constantly wanting results and everything faster. Faster not only with the technology but with food and nutrition as well. The number of fast food restaurants have increased over the last 10 years and with this Americans have been resorting to eat there rather than slaving over stoves but by doing this they miss out on vital nutrients in home cooked meals with less grease and sugars than the Fast Food joints. Also as an added bonus just the thought of cooking your meals requires you to walk more, thus having you be less sedentary and potentially lowering health risks associated with sitting down and eating healthy. This was a very insightful video and I believe if research was done on nutrition and the effects on the sedentary lifestyle I believe new finds would occur and show that the food you eat has a very big impact on any health risks associated.
There have recently been a slew of health articles written regarding the health risks of sitting for long periods of times. Many of these articles have focused upon careers that require long periods of sitting, jobs that are typically referred to as “sit-down jobs” or “desk jobs”. When you think about the health risks of sitting for prolonged periods of time I’m sure many things come to mind. What first comes to mind for me is obesity, back problem caused by lack of proper posture, and early onset of more serious health risks due to lack of physical activity. It is crazy to think that, even people who have a relatively active lifestyle, and who may only sit down for frequent amounts of time due to work are still at a greater risk of health concerns than people who work in my physically demanding jobs. Not only is sitting linked with a higher risk of certain disease, but it has also been found to cause a higher risk of colon cancer, endometrial cancer, and lung cancer! So what can you do if you work a desk job? It’s not like you can just quit your job and find one that offers more opportunities for physical activity! I liked how the video included studies that showed the positive effects of getting up and moving at various intervals throughout your work day. But what else can you do to help lower the risks that come with a desk job? Like everything else in the world of “healthy living” the main thing that sticks out to me would be to just get up and get moving whenever you possibly can. If it is not a possibility at work then go out after work and go to the gym, get groceries, even something as simple as walking your dog! The biggest thing would be “forcing” yourself to go out and do some physical activity after a long day of work even when you’re tired. The main thing to focus on is the fact that it is extremely important that we take care of ourselves to the best of our abilities.
That was so much information! So what is the best way to do it? After sitting for an hour walk around (or just stand) for 2 minutes?
This is really interesting...I wonder how much it would help kids and teens in school who sit most of the day.
Oh great, now California is going to label chairs as a carcinogen X3
Worrying because I sit a lot, but this is great information. Thank you !
You're doing great work
I work at an office that has standing desks and exercise balls. I guess my question is what do studies say about the effectiveness and proper use of both/either? I basically try to sit as little as possible at my work, but does a 2 hours stint on the exercise ball or standing desk work better, or is it transitioning between them that makes the system work?
Good vs. bad posture? could you cover this at some point? think it would make an interesting episode like this one :)
As someone who had a TIA (aka mini-stroke) last week at the age of 31 despite not being overweight, I think I'm gonna start doing this.
So in addition to working out for 30 minutes every day, I've got to drop what I'm doing, get up and walk every 20 minutes for 2 minutes. I'm getting irrationally angry that the body is built this way. Or maybe rationally angry given there aren't a whole lot of incentives to not be sedentary when you're part of the middle class.
+Matthew Gooding It's telling you that simply not sitting around is *more* important than that work-out.
And you can get 30 mins of activity by simply cycling to work for 15 mins and then back. Everyone should be that active without even thinking about it.
I don't live in an urban environment, I have to drive to get anywhere. Getting up to walk for 2 minutes every 20 minutes sounds like a good way to get fired to me.
@@Correctrix cycling to work for 30??? That's how long the DRIVE takes lmfao
I was sitting down while watching this, thanks a lot HCT.
The biomechanist Katy Bowman's book Move Your DNA talks a lot about the effects of sitting and is a great read for anyone interested about the subject. She talks about how our environment shapes the way we move and how our cells adapt to different biomechanical stimuli. The way we form and use our bodies has an interesting and profound effect that we are just now starting to understand. She's also about to come out with a new book called Don't Just Sit There that is solely about this subject and how to create a work space that easily allows dynamic movement while still being an effective work space.
Great channel. This is eye opening. I usually sit throughout the day and then go running for 30 min. in the evening. I thought I lived a healthy lifestyle.
I would be excited to see an episode about interpreting risk based on RR and HR. The RR reported in these studies has statistical significance, though the CI is not reported. The levels are below 2 where I start to interpret clinical significance. I know I would value your opinion on interpreting risk, and believe others would value it too.
This video would, of course, come up in the week when I have a stress fracture in my foot and have to spend all my time sitting....
Going back to standing at my desk. Thanks HCT!
Do you have any thoughts for people who need to use a wheelchair full time? Our bodies have adapted pretty well, I believe, so maybe movement of any kind would help to activate those enzymes and normal functions because we never stand. Any thoughts or tips from your research that might benefit us to stay a little bit healthier?
....But I could smoke quite a number of cigarettes in the course of 21.8 minutes.... so maybe it"s not the best of comparisons.
It is basically saying that one hour of sitting will shorten your life the same amount as if you smoked 2 cigarettes in a hour.
1Hr sitting = 2 cigarettes.
+SilentS just make sure that you don't sit down to smoke :O
SilentS Mostly we're comparing our perception of danger, not actual amount of danger. EVERYONE knows smoking will kill you, but most people think it's no big deal if you sit for hours and at a time every day.
brumagemm No, we know that smoking will increase your chance of dying early. That is not the same as "smoking will kill you". Consider the following (like Bill Nye): We know that playing Russian roulette with a 6 cylinder revolver loaded with 6 cartridges WILL kill you. We don't know that playing Russian Roulette with 2 cartridges loaded in a 6 cylinder revolver will kill you but we know that it is worse than playing Russian roulette with one cartridge in a six cylinder revolver.
So on every hour i should pace around and walk around my house a bit then just sitting longer hours then doing a vigorous workout?
I just want this clarified
I'm sitting at a computer watching you right now Dr. Carroll, why did you just take 2.0019 minutes off my life?!?!
I think a recent study was done saying that standing wasn't really any better for you than sitting, and that for any benefit you need to perform physical activity. Maybe you should do a video on that to clear up any confusion.
Have there been any studies on prolonged standing (i.e. using a standing desk)?
i'm currently suffering the consequences of prolonged sitting plus a poor posture, and whenever i'm reading or watching sth whether it's digital or not i'm walking around, and when sth requires me to work on the pc i'm switching positions between standing and laying down. i know laying down while working on laptop isn't good, but i'm taking breaks every 10-20mins and i have a lot of work to do, so i'm praying that laying position will not worsen my condition
The question is: is there a real direct causal correlation between sitting and health issues or is it just correlation (stressful jobs, long hours, bad diet, etc.)
A very good way to deal with this issues is to buy an electric "sit-stand" desk. You can then change from sitting to standing in a few seconds. You just touch a button, and the desk height changes as appropriate. No need to take a break to stop sitting. You can keep on working, and just stand up some of the time. I bought one a couple of months ago, and it seems to have (mostly) cured my lower back pain! Of course, a cheaper alternative is just to set up a desk at standing height in your office, and move from your sitting-desk to your standing desk from time to time. However, it's much easier (and more compact) to have one desk, one main computer, etc, and just change the height as needed.
Do any of these studies, I wonder, specify how the subjects were sitting or for what purpose? 'Cause sitting very relaxed and passively watching television is different from constantly shifting and readjusting your position and being focused on work. I'm also curious as to how something like a restless leg would figure into it, it's sorta like an activity, would that maybe "break" this possible physiological signaling that you're at rest?
How can I control for sitting in situations like school, where I spend a good 50% of my week . then I come home and do homework, on my bed and then sleep . I'm sitting a lot but I don't know how to control some of that
I'm curious, when does standing too much become a problem? My job has me on my feet for 8-12 hours/day.
I can't even imagine sitting for 8 hours/day; I'd go crazy.
What if I kneel?
Love the video! Thanks for making this. Definitely subscribing. :)
Do a video on the pros/cons of being fidgety? Could that lower the harms of sitting?
I knew school lessons and exams were taking days off my lifespan!!! All those hours sat down not allowed to get up and move around. Am I right or am I over-generalizing? Of course, the benefits probably outweigh the downsides, but since apparently our attention spans aren't that long either (especially as children), surely it would be quite feasible to break up lessons with a little movement!
After watching this video, I wonder how long I'll end up living. For most of my life, I have been sitting in a desk chair 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. Its worrisome that something I was forced to do could end up effecting my life expectancy. I also think about the people who decided to have office jobs. They sit at their desk for hours on end doing paperwork, research, etc. and they could be doing this for 40+ years. But because of this finding, they might not even make it to 40+ years in their lifetime as an adult. If more people knew the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle, I wonder we would see more desk treadmills or an increase in walking breaks in the work place. While most people think about their health, they don't act upon new changes to better it which could increase their risk of a shorter life due to colon cancer and the rest of the health risks mentioned in the video.
Besides those couple of small trials with respect to blood sugar control, is there any evidence to suggest that the effect is causal one way or the other, or anything controlled for socioeconomic status? Do we know that sitting is causing all the bad outcomes, or do people who are already at risk for them just tend to sit more?
What do I physically do, then? I don't work at an office. I stand or walk for 8 hours a day five days a week. How much more walking do I need?
So basically, ADHD is saving my life, whenever I sit in a chair I want to bounce back up in about 4 minutes flat, lol. I even pace when I eat.
I got worried now. I am sitting alot on work. How does the number turn out if i sit 8 hours at work, but almost not at all the rest of the day. Does that mean i get the 50% sitting ratio? (because I sit about 50% of my time awake), or do I get the 33% sitting ratio, because I sit 1/3rd of each 24 hours?
It's information like this that leads me to believe OSHA will be making standing desks and such mandatory at some point. It also could be used by employers to make standing positions more prevalent.
I actually walk while watching a lot of my youtube videos. I play them on my phone and do loops around my apartment. I also do this while reading (don't worry, I have a clear path). I started doing this after purchasing a fitbit, and was trying to find ways to hit 10,000 steps. It really draws attention to how much time I was sitting around while at home.
My husband thinks I'm nuts though.
What about fidgeting? Does fidgeting help in any way (other than being satisfying)?
Does just standing and not moving make a huge difference though? OR should you sit and just go for a 2min walk?
this vid made me stand mid the video :) so if you lay down instead of sitting, will it have the same negative effect?
What about different "postures"? I usually sit somewhat reclined even in normal chairs, or sometimes Indian/criss-cross style. I recall studies showing how "proper posture" is actual one of the worst postures, but I'm unsure of the evidence
Do we know how much just fidgeting helps offset any of this? Because I'm a big fidget-er, but I don't know if that would help at all.
you may not want to sit down for this news.
Two words: desk treadmill.
How the fuck does that work when you program or design art on a computer lol
HomeSkillenSLICE Digital art is one thing, but programming and related jobs don't have you actually writing code all the time. It's feasible.
What's that?
Vaibhav Gupta
a treadmill- probably fairly slow, but a treadmill nonetheless-you build into your desk that keeps you on your feet and exercising all day.
+HomeSkillenSLICE You don't run on it, you just walk at a comfortable speed
I feel that it would be very difficult to control for so many factors, such as diet and genetics.
I definitely don't have a difficult time believing that prolonged sitting is deleterious to your health (I'm a physical therapist). But I have hard time taking a lot of this research seriously because of the lack if control.
Has there been an episode on msg?
ok so,can i play a match in my game that takes around 10min,then get up and walk around my house for around,five minutes,and repeat that,does that work?
Any vehicles where we can drive standing up?
Well it would be nice if there was some more research that tries to get to the bottom of this. Why sitting is so bad for you. We have know this for quite some time after all. And if we did research it a bit more then we could also put in place better preventative measures. And it might also lead to us developing better treatment for other conditions to. Who knows.
Well at least we can do something for the moment. We might not know exactly what the issue is. But we know at least something can be done to lessen the harmful effects.
Do you have any app recommendations for Android that can remind you to stand up and take a break?
Okay, but sitting is unavoidable in daily life? Class requires some form of sitting for 1-3 hours at a time (standing desks aren't provided and standing without a table and taking notes is pretty much impossible). It's not as if people are NEVER going to sit down, and the 'sitting for an hour shortens your life by 22 minutes' seems like more of a scare or oversimplification of an aggregate of a lifetime of heavy sedentary-ness (possibly combined with other factors that sitting could contribute to) versus a single hour of sitting.
That made so much sense.
Do you want a fucking cookie?
What counts as sitting, though? For example, if I squat, is that better? Or if I lean back, say, 45 degrees. Or if I kneel?
I wonder if that contributes to the better health outcomes for older and retired adults who have pets vs. those who don't. Aside from the emotional attachment and mental engagement you can have with a pet, they can get people moving. Especially dogs. So instead of sitting on the couch all day, people are getting up and moving around, if only briefly, every couple hours to let the dog out, fetch a toy, get the brush, walk the dog, ect. I'd be curious to know if there is any good science linking that kind of activity to longer and healthier lives, especially later in life.
I told my friend this for years. He passed this July 2022. 300 lbs, rarely got out of his chair. :(
It seems like I could do more work/study if I sit for a few hours than even more hours with interruption. Maybe I'd have better health if I increase activity taking in account sitting even if it was less effective the regular interruption, but I'd be able to do both more if I specify a time for each, I mean we have to get work done!
I love this guy 😅
I'm gonna try taking breaks to do sit up and hope that helps. this is scary stuff.
What's "every once in a while"?
So where the studies on Standing still in one place for this standing vs sitting?
Easy, equip all chairs with moderate resistance bike pedals, and when you don't meet your quota of biking for 2 minutes every 30 minutes the chair violently raises and lowers the sitting position until met.
More likely, it's the other way around. As anyone who is severely overweight knows, it's a pain on the feet to be standing or walking around for periods of time, so sitting occurs more often and for longer periods of time. Being overweight also accounts for all the other symptoms, as you mentioned.
Honestly this just makes me feel defeated. I'm 21 and I've been sitting for 90% of my day for my entire life. I also don't eat very healthily though I eat less than 3000 calories per day. I'm not obese but I'm a little overweight. I've kind of just accepted that I probably won't make it to 80 years. I'm actually more scared of the medical bills than I am the inevitable crippling health conditions.
Dude it's like you quit running a mile after 200 meters because you weren't doing as good as you wanted
tpespos What's the point? If I'm not going to have access to technology that lets me live a thousand or a million years, then why does it matter? What's 4 or 6 extra years? If I can't extend my lifespan by a significant amount then I don't see any point in expanding it at all.
+Mr. Rize AG . I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way.
Mr. Rize AG You would just be extending your life, you would also be improving your quality of life if you make some changes.
Spartacus But I'm not particularly unhappy. Quite the opposite actually. I see no reason to increase the stress in my daily life just to attain distant, intangible goals.
so basically those of us who can't walk and have no chose but to sit all day are screwed right?
gl7827 Even paraplegics need to stand once in a while
yea there is a reason I said cant my legs and back cant hold me up so I cant stand at all so yea
gl7827 The observations were made on healthy, normal weight people (who have a choice in the matter). I think they'd have to (and SHOULD) do a lot of specialized testing to find out what would work as an alternative for those who physically cannot just get up and walk around for their health, like us (though my specifics are different than yours) and many other people.
I'm already unhealthy enough because of my disability...I really don't want my disability itself to make me even more unhealthy than it already has, but it also limits what I can do about it.
What can people who drive for a living do to counter these reactions? My hubby is a semi truck driver, so he can't just get up and walk around most of the time.
I sit a lot but obesity is not a risk as my bf is very low and I exercise. Do the risks still apply?
How long were you sitting to record this video?
What about Jobs that demand standing all day? As a pharmacist I find standing for 8 hours has damaged my health... My feet have swollen, I have lower back pain, my knees hurt... Are there any studies concerning this topic? It would be interesting to compare both sitting for long periods of time and standing inmovile for a long period of time... I mean... Which is more harmful??
both
What about standing desks? If you're standing, but not moving around, is this still better than sitting?
Oh man ... I was firmly in the "I sit a lot but at least I go running often" camp, but apparently that's not good enough.
Ive never sat down in my whole life...but I sometimes rest but don't sit on chairs but I do sit down but I sit on the wall even at school
This is why I want a desk treadmill. However, I sadly don't have enough room in my dorm. Bummer...
Hi everyone they say if you sit too much you get herramoids & if you stand to much back aches circulation issues etc i guess you must stretch & walk as much as possible to feel good & healthybas posible may god bless us with good health someone let us know please positive feedback 🙏
What about standing still? Is using a standing desk all day good for you? I've head mixed messages on this but would be interested to know of any actual science.
I'd be totally down for a little 2-minute "Get up and move!" on-screen buddy.
Maybe even Mark Olsen could make him a mascot of sorts.
Interesting, however, I recently read a book by Tim Spector, British Doctor, called "Spoon Fed" about diet myths and he mentions living for some time with The Hadza Tribe in Tanzania, still largely hunter gatherers and expected to find them moving about a lot more than those of us in the "civilized" world, but was surprised to find that they are every bit as "sedentary" as we are. They sit/lounge about for hours, only stirring, if there's work to be done, or they need to gather/hunt for food!
What do when your job requires you to sit for a minimum of two hours at a time and actively discourages being away from your desk due to the nature of the work? They also wont accommodate an alternative.
Get a tablet.