Study Finds Standing Can Measurably Boost Health

It is well-documented that exercise and other moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) reduces the risk of many age-related chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, numerous cancers, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. However, in a new study published October 12 in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, researchers found that just standing still was associated with lower risk for mortality.

Led by Andrea LaCroix, PhD, chief of epidemiology at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, the research team observed activity levels of nearly 6,000 American women, ages 63 to 97, in partnership with the Women’s Health Initiative. Participants wore a research-grade accelerometer for seven days to get accurate measures of how much time they spent sitting, standing still or moving.

Participants who spent the most time standing had a 37 percent lower risk of death when compared to the group who didn’t stand up as often. While the highest group was standing still almost 90 minutes per day, a lower risk of death was observed by standing still for as little as 30 minutes per day. The positive effects of standing were even stronger when participants were standing and moving around at the same time.

“Avoiding prolonged sedentary time and engaging in regular physical activity are key strategies for older Americans to improve their prospects for healthy aging,” said first author Purva Jain, a doctoral candidate and research fellow. “Specifically low-intensity physical activities, such as standing, are important to study due to their feasibility and safety. During our research, we found that simply spending more time on your feet could have important health benefits, such as a decreased risk of mortality.”

Many adults in the U.S. aged 65 and older struggle to meet physical activity guidelines, which generally call for 150 minutes of activity per week. According to the researchers, many Americans spend up to 11 hours a day sitting. Women are specifically at an increased risk of having or developing health concerns associated with inactivity.

“Standing is a feasible approach to interrupt long periods of time sitting that takes place throughout the day,” said John Bellettiere, PhD, a professor of epidemiology at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. “We find this most beneficial for older adults who may not be able to partake in moderate-to-vigorous activities anymore, but can still follow a healthy aging lifestyle safely just by replacing sitting with standing up more.”

“This is the first study of its kind where we were able to decipher between the benefits of standing still versus standing and moving around,” said senior author LaCroix. “In doing so, we were able to provide rigorous evidence that even standing still results in positive health benefits.”

Other co-authors of the paper, titled “The Relationship of Accelerometer-Assessed Standing Time With and Without Ambulation and Mortality: The WHI OPACH Study,” included Nicole Glass, MPH, of the University of California, San Diego; Michael La Monte, MPH, PhD, of the State University of New York at Buffalo; Chongzhi Di, PhD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Robert Wild, MD, MPH, PhD, of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; and Kelly Evenson, MS, PhD, of the University of North Carolina. Funding for this research came, in part, from The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Aging.

###

The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences is a peer-reviewed publication of The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,500+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA’s structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society.