Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – The everyday practice of standing up more frequently could benefit heart health in postmenopausal women, according to a new study from the University of California San Diego. Researchers found that women with overweight or obesity who added more daily sit-to-stand movements experienced noticeable improvements in blood pressure.
Remaining seated for long hours has on daily basis has long been considered a health hazard on the long run.
The study, recently published in the journal Circulation, indicates that taking regular short breaks to stand — even without engaging in vigorous physical activity — may contribute to better cardiovascular health.
The lead author Sheri J. Hartman, Ph.D., professor at UC San Diego’s Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science indicated that public health guidance often tells us to reduce sitting time but rarely explains the most effective methods. She indicated that their results show that while spending less time sitting is useful, simply breaking up sitting with brief periods of standing — even if overall sitting time does not decrease — can help maintain healthy blood pressure and support overall well-being.
The Rise for Health Study was a randomized controlled trial that tested practical ways to get post-menopausal women up out of their chairs, while also tracking the downstream effects on blood pressure and blood-glucose control. These women typically log the bulk of their waking hours sedentary, a habit that stacks the odds against them for heart disease, type-2 diabetes, cancer, and an earlier death.
In a three-month study, researchers examined whether reducing sitting time or increasing sit-to-stand movements could improve health outcomes. Participants were divided into two groups: one encouraged to sit less throughout the day and another instructed to stand up more frequently, while a control group received only general health tips without changing their sitting habits. Findings revealed that neither sitting less nor standing up more often led to significant improvements in blood sugar. Although the “sit less” group managed to cut an average of 75 minutes of sitting per day and showed some positive changes in blood pressure, the results did not reach statistical significance.
Women in the sit-to-stand group boosted their daily standing movements by an average of 25 times and saw a reduction in diastolic blood pressure that was 2.24 mmHg greater than the control group. Although this drop did not reach significant change of 3–5 mmHg, the findings show that even within just three months, making a habit of standing more often can help bring down diastolic blood pressure.
The research team noted that further benefits might take longer to emerge, so they have applied for a new grant to study both behaviors over an extended period in older men and women.
The co-author Andrea Z. LaCroix, Ph.D., a distinguished professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science indicated that what she found most encouraging about this study is that the women created their own goals and successfully changed their sitting habits. With just a bit of guidance, they can learn to reduce the time they spend sitting — and that shift has a clear impact on both the immediate and long-term health.
“Adapting real-world interventions that are easy, realistic and aligned with our personal goals — such as stand up from sitting 25 extra times per day, like two times per hour over 12 hours — may be doable for so many of us.”
The coauthors team also includes: Dorothy D. Sears, Loki Natarajan, Rong W. Zablocki, Lindsay Dillon, James F. Sallis & Simon Schenk (UC San Diego); Ruohui Chen (UC San Diego & Northwestern); Jeffrey S. Patterson (Arizona State); David W. Dunstan (Deakin University & Baker Heart/Diabetes Institute, Australia); Neville Owen (Baker & Swinburne); Dori E. Rosenberg (Kaiser Permanente Washington).
