You may want to stand up for this one.… (Stocksy)
According to the latest research led by the America Cancer Society, standing for at least 25 percent of the day can lower someone’s odds of facing obesity. But the statistics differed among the sexes.
The study, which consisted of more than 7,000 adults in the Dallas, Texas, area during a five-year period, found that men who stood a quarter of the time were linked to a 32 percent reduced likelihood of obesity (in terms of body fat percentage). Males who stood for half the day decreased their chances by 59 percent. However, standing for more than three-quarters of the time was not associated with a lower risk of obesity.
As for the ladies, standing for a quarter of the day was shown to reduce the likelihood of abdominal obesity (waist circumference) by 35 percent. Standing for half the day away reduced their risk by 47 percent, and there was a 57 percent reduction linked to standing for three-quarters of the time.
However, there was no relationship between standing and metabolic syndrome (various risk factors that increase the risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes) found among women or men.
The investigators also discovered that the adults who met the physical activity guidelines (150 minutes of moderate activity and/or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per day) reduced their risk even more. For example, men who hit these workout numbers and who stood for a quarter of the day reduced their likelihood of facing abdominal obesity by 57 percent.
“Many of us have sedentary jobs and commute long hours, so the idea is to try do more things that would be feasible with our lifestyle,” lead study author Dr. Kerem Shuval, director of physical activity and nutrition research at the American Cancer Society, tells Yahoo Health. “Over the years, our activity levels have declined significantly. Not the leisure time activities, but activities that are connected to work and home.”
He says that many people today are investing in standing desk, treadmill desks, and adjustable desks, “which can give you activity during the day while typing.” But if those options aren’t realistic, Shuval suggests letting your legs do the walking instead of your fingers. “Get up and talk to a colleague instead of emailing or texting them,” he says.
Also, don’t use the boardroom as often. “A lot of us in our office now have walking meetings — we walk and talk about our work instead of sitting around a table,” he says. “We have walking discussions. In the movie about Steve Jobs with Ashton Kutcher, we saw that he had a lot of his meetings while walking.”
During the after-office hours, Shuval recommends finding creative ways to multitask. “For example, I can’t exercise after work because I have kids,” he explains. “Many parents, like myself, bring their kids to different activities, but most of them then sit down and use their cell phones. So I go out for a quick jog while my kids are busy with their activities.”
As for the TV lovers and binge-watchers, he suggests standing while viewing, “and to be conscious about it.”
“In general, the goal is to find any reason to get off your chair more often,” he concludes. “The idea is to think about more activities that can be built in during your day.”
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