All you sore legs standing behind a desk, take a seat.
Science would like to amend its previous statements about how sitting down for too long can kill you.
Its newest party line, according to new research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology: if you’re not active outside the office, it really doesn’t matter whether you stand or sit for 8 hours – you’re fucking up your health.
Researchers reviewed 16 years’ worth of data from more than 5,000 people and found that the lifespan of participants wasn’t affected by how long they sat.
Likewise, standing isn’t necessarily better if people aren’t exercising regularly.
So, while standing desks might help you stay ~alert~ insofar as they don’t allow you to nod of, they’re not all that from a health perspective.
“Any stationary posture where energy expenditure is low may be detrimental to health, be it sitting or standing,” explains the study’s author, Melvyn Hillsdon.
So, sit. But, exercise.
She also warned that putting the fear of sitting into people distracted from the real message: that is, leading a physically active life.
“The results of this study suggest that policy makers should be cautious about recommending sitting reductions without also recommending increases in physical activity.”
This news comes after reports the White House ordered USD$700,000 worth of standing desks last month.
Someone forward this story to POTUS.
Via The Washington Post.
Lead Image Via The White House.
