Most jobs today are sedentary, requiring people to sit for long periods of time, even though there is growing interest in being more active. This is getting worse as advances in technology and increased peer pressure mean that many people do not leave their desk, even for communicating with their colleagues. Although doing the recommended levels of physical activity of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week and resistance exercises twice a week outside of work can help, this is not enough. There is still an increased risk of premature mortality, cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes if one sits for prolonged periods. A Cochrane review titled “workplace interventions to reduce sitting at work” looked at ways to make it easier for people to sit less at work but, when we think of an average office, we can see how reducing sitting is a huge challenge. It might need changes to the architecture, new furniture, or changes in the office routine, which can be expensive and disruptive. This makes it even more important to find out that whether interventions that aim to reduce sitting, such as desks at which you can work while standing, actually do reduce sitting. The authors found some evidence that it might be possible to make a difference.
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