4 ms·

Of note: the issue is not so much sitting in particular, it's being sedentary. Standing for 5 hrs at a time is really not much better than sitting for that same

Of note: the issue is not so much sitting in particular, it's being sedentary. Standing for 5 hrs at a time is really not much better than sitting for that same duration, since humans are (understandably) well-adapted to stand upright with minimal metabolic cost. Sitting is bad because it displaces physical activity, not because there is something uniquely bad about being in a chair. Take a walk break.

wanderingstan 2y ago
> Sitting is bad because it displaces physical activity… This is at odds with the article, which states: > Since 2010, researchers have been keen to point out that sedentary behaviour is distinct from a lack of physical activity. You can get sufficient exercise per day, and still sit for too long.
- culi 2y ago
  I think this is confounding the two points. I don't think GP was talking about "exercise per day" but rather long periods of time of sedentarism. The quote from the article doesn't at all dispute the proposed point that "standing still for a long period of time can also be harmful"
cb321 2y ago
While the default is probably minimal metabolic cost, there are people I have seen who are more prone to shift their weight constantly while standing.. Almost a foot-motionless dance who are -- if doing it all day long -- probably burning serious calories that way. While I imagine you could adapt the same to a sitting posture, you're a lot less likely to be working against your whole body weight. This observation probably applies to (some of) those "standing desk" people, too.
loeg 2y ago
Some of the mechanisms they talk about are specific to sitting. But I don't know if they've made the connection between those specific mechanisms and outcomes, or if they're just theoretical.
keybored 2y ago
No, it isn’t simply about being sedentary, and yes sitting is especially problematic. 1. Sitting is the optimal position for getting work done like on a computer while almost not engaging any muscles beneath your shoulders (bad) 2. It tends to shorten the hip flexors which ultimately can affect your lower back 3. Any sedentary but still somewhat active position tends to be viewed as better, such as standing or squatting. There are tribes in Africa that are very sedentary but don’t sit on chairs—they squat instead Source: Move Your DNA (book) The problem for me is that, while I do have and use standing desks, I won’t use them for more than thirty minutes at a time. Often thirty minutes a day only (on a good day). So for me I just haven’t found a lot of good alternatives to either replace sitting or minimize it. I have seriously tried to stand on my knees at the office but eh it’s kind of painful and distracting and you get derisive attention. EDIT: Oh shoot, I guess this proves that I don’t use it enough: I totally forgot that I also have a walking treadmill. Oh man it’s actually quite nice, and I am able to walk faster than I imagined while getting work done (there’s a limit to it mostly determined by resisting natural arm sway, you know while working on the computer). Yeah you can move while both programming and playing video games.
- keybored 2y ago
  > The problem for me is that, while I do have and use standing desks, I won’t use them for more than thirty minutes at a time. Okay I recently did some volunteer work where I had to stand on my feet and be ready. Nothing happened but I needed to be ready. Classic sedentary standing. But it was fun. A lot of fidgeting, some mild moving in place. While my co-workers complained about lower-back pain and fatigue I think I was mostly fine. So last Friday I challenged myself to stand for the entire workday, or at least never sit down. And it was quite fine. I only got pretty distracted by the discomfort towards the last two hours. When I got home I was tired. But by the end of the day (after a longer work) I felt quite good. Today I guess I stood at my desk for at least two hours and thirty minutes. This might work out!
- pjerem 2y ago
  I’m pretty convinced that workers who stand still everyday have worst health outcomes than desk workers overall. Just different issues. I mean, yeah, you maybe are exchanging cardiovascular issues for articulation issues. That’s something, I guess.

wanderingstan 2y ago

> Sitting is bad because it displaces physical activity… This is at odds with the article, which states: > Since 2010, researchers have been keen to point out that sedentary behaviour is distinct from a lack of physical activity. You can get sufficient exercise per day, and still sit for too long.

culi 2y ago
I think this is confounding the two points. I don't think GP was talking about "exercise per day" but rather long periods of time of sedentarism. The quote from the article doesn't at all dispute the proposed point that "standing still for a long period of time can also be harmful"

cb321 2y ago

While the default is probably minimal metabolic cost, there are people I have seen who are more prone to shift their weight constantly while standing.. Almost a foot-motionless dance who are -- if doing it all day long -- probably burning serious calories that way. While I imagine you could adapt the same to a sitting posture, you're a lot less likely to be working against your whole body weight. This observation probably applies to (some of) those "standing desk" people, too.

loeg 2y ago

Some of the mechanisms they talk about are specific to sitting. But I don't know if they've made the connection between those specific mechanisms and outcomes, or if they're just theoretical.

keybored 2y ago

No, it isn’t simply about being sedentary, and yes sitting is especially problematic. 1. Sitting is the optimal position for getting work done like on a computer while almost not engaging any muscles beneath your shoulders (bad) 2. It tends to shorten the hip flexors which ultimately can affect your lower back 3. Any sedentary but still somewhat active position tends to be viewed as better, such as standing or squatting. There are tribes in Africa that are very sedentary but don’t sit on chairs—they squat instead Source: Move Your DNA (book) The problem for me is that, while I do have and use standing desks, I won’t use them for more than thirty minutes at a time. Often thirty minutes a day only (on a good day). So for me I just haven’t found a lot of good alternatives to either replace sitting or minimize it. I have seriously tried to stand on my knees at the office but eh it’s kind of painful and distracting and you get derisive attention. EDIT: Oh shoot, I guess this proves that I don’t use it enough: I totally forgot that I also have a walking treadmill. Oh man it’s actually quite nice, and I am able to walk faster than I imagined while getting work done (there’s a limit to it mostly determined by resisting natural arm sway, you know while working on the computer). Yeah you can move while both programming and playing video games.

keybored 2y ago
> The problem for me is that, while I do have and use standing desks, I won’t use them for more than thirty minutes at a time. Okay I recently did some volunteer work where I had to stand on my feet and be ready. Nothing happened but I needed to be ready. Classic sedentary standing. But it was fun. A lot of fidgeting, some mild moving in place. While my co-workers complained about lower-back pain and fatigue I think I was mostly fine. So last Friday I challenged myself to stand for the entire workday, or at least never sit down. And it was quite fine. I only got pretty distracted by the discomfort towards the last two hours. When I got home I was tired. But by the end of the day (after a longer work) I felt quite good. Today I guess I stood at my desk for at least two hours and thirty minutes. This might work out!
pjerem 2y ago
I’m pretty convinced that workers who stand still everyday have worst health outcomes than desk workers overall. Just different issues. I mean, yeah, you maybe are exchanging cardiovascular issues for articulation issues. That’s something, I guess.