Sitting for nine hours every day could lead to health disorders, according to a study done in the past years. Nilofer Merchant, Corporate Director and Author of Huffingpost stated, "After one hour of sitting, the production of enzymes that burn fat declines by as much as 90 percent. Extended sitting slows the body's metabolism affecting things like (good cholesterol) HDL levels in our bodies. Research shows that this lack of physical activity is directly tied to six percent of the impact for heart diseases, seven percent for type 2 diabetes, and 10 percent for breast cancer, or colon cancer. You might already know that the death rate associated with obesity in the United States is now 35 million.' As a result, standing desks were invented and being used in many work stations. Though it became beneficial in making people move more at the office, a recent study shows that it drives more people to sit at home.
A study was conducted by researchers from the Loughborough University, England and Victoria University, Australia to assess the long-term effects of using standing desks at work. The participants, who are 4O healthy but desk-bound office workers, were given two kinds of activity monitors for 14 days. The first one oversees the posture of a person whether he is sitting or standing. The second monitor assesses steps and other exercises done. Each participant was issued a sit-stand workstation and was asked to monitor from first week to three months of using sit-stand workstation.
After three months. Participants are standing up for 5. 5 hours compared from the start and close to 9 hours of sitting. Though the results shows an increase in number of hours spend standing in the office, researchers noticed an increase in the time spent sitting at home.Stacy Clemex, professor of exercise science at Loughborough University indicated, "It appears that participants were compensating for sitting less at work by sitting more and moving less after work."
Although participant might get some exercise from standing more in the office, it has lesser effect due to sitting more at home.
