Sitting Is Not The New Smoking

For half a decade, studies have been demonstrating a link between sitting and dying, prompting many of us to try out standing desks.

Now a large study undertaken by the University of Exeter and University College London and published in the International Journal of Epidemiology suggests that the problem isn’t sitting. It’s not getting enough exercise, and that standing doesn’t help — though treadmill desks and bike desks would presumably make some kind of difference.

So sitting for long periods doesn’t make death more imminent, this study suggests. Sitting is not the new smoking.

Now, that’s not to suggest sitting is the healthiest of your options in life. In fact, even though the researchers claim the amount of time spent sitting doesn’t impact mortality risk. They still don’t want you to trade to just sit around all day and all week without any physical exercise. For a healthy lifestyle adhere to your daily 30 minute walk. While at the office you can relax and not worry that all that sitting down is going to impact mortality risk.

Overall, it’s just comforting to know that our work offices are not slowly killing us from sitting down. So hold out on purchasing those standing desks.