Do Anything But Sit To Boost Heart Health

An Australian clinical trial involving 782 men and women (ages 36 – 80) finds that standing is better for your heart health than sitting, and moving is better for your waistline and body mass index. Participants in the study wore activity monitors that accurately determined sleeping times, sitting or lying down time, and standing and stepping (walking or running) time. The researchers found that time spent standing rather than sitting was linked to lower blood sugar and blood fats. Stepping instead of sitting was linked to significant reductions in waistline and BMI. Note that the study did not show a cause-and-effect relationship, only associations.