New study finds sitting might not be so bad

If you’re like many office workers, you may have heard that sitting for long periods is bad for your health. The accepted wisdom has been responsible for a rash of solutions, from ergonomic standing desks to standing during meetings.

But now new research suggest that sitting may not be that bad after all, according to WebMD. The study from the British University of Exeter followed more than 5,000 men and women for sixteen years, finding no increased risk of mortality in those who had long daily periods of sitting.

Published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, the study asked participants, who had no heart problems, about their daily sitting during work and while watching television or partaking in other leisure time pursuits.

The researchers stressed that more research on inactive behavior is needed, and noted that encouraging people to stay active should remain a public health goal.  But they noted that activity may be more important than sitting versus standing, and they say their study opens questions about the utility of offices with standing desks.

Instead of standing, they suggest workers should take walks with colleagues more often or walk to have conversations with co-workers rather than relying on inter-office emails.