According to recent studies, secondhand smoke, alcoholism and pollution will all kill you, as will another deadly catalyst—sitting.
The British Journal of Sports Medicine conducted a 2008 study that concluded that “too much sitting” could result in poor metabolic health, an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic health issues.
Interestingly enough, the study's had little to do with whether or not the subjects were physically fit. The probability of being affected by prolonged seating was by no means proportionate to their level of fitness. In other words, you could essentially be a world-class runner while still being affected. The reasoning behind this links back to the study's goal of focusing on "sedentary" fitness practices (sitting, standing, sleeping, and so on).
Sedentary practices are defined as "behaviors for which energy expenditure is low, including prolonged sitting time in transit, at work, at home and in leisure time." Examples include sitting, standing, or sleeping.
The study notes that extended sitting can also correlate to weight gain, even after physical activity and energy intake have been accounted for.
A recently published prospective studyshowed that self-reported sitting time (asa marker of sedentary behaviour) was apredictor of weight gain in Australianwomen, even after adjustment for energyintake and leisure time physical activity.
Joe Shamblin, senior systems administrator in the computer science department, is a pioneer of the standing movement; he was recently featured in Duke Today discussing why standing works for him.
"About 10 years ago, a friend of mine had a heart attack when he was 34, and after that, I started thinking about my health and wanted to be as healthy as possible," he said.
Although standing for hours on end sounds great in theory, it’s almost inevitable that one would get tired after a few upright hours. If and when that happens, fear not—there is an alternative to traditional chairs. A medicine ball will prove to be a worthy investment, as it requires the use core muscles for balance.
Who would have ever thought that sitting could do so much harm? Considering the unwritten sitting requirement for classes and jobs at Duke, not to mention the price of standing desks it’s highly improbable that the standing movement will muster much of a legitimate following. Make sure, however, to think twice before you take your next prolonged seat—you could be signing your very own early death warrant.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.