Studies show that standing for 2 hours a day can improve your health

Most of us fail to realise the effects of making small changes to our lifestyle. Every small but positive change you make to your lifestyle can have a positive impact on your health. One such small change can be to stand more and sit less during the day. Researchers believe that standing for even a couple of hours during the day can give a boost to health, especially for those who spend most of their daytime sitting on their desks at work.

According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, replacing your sitting time with standing time can improve your sugar, fat and cholesterol levels. The researchers observed around 800 men and women during the study and took measurements for blood, height and weight, monitoring their activities for a week. When the researchers compared the health data of the participants to how much each of them has moved or not, they conclusively associated standing for longer periods of time with better health.

The study suggests that anyone can improve their health by standing for extra 2 hours every day rather than sitting as it will help them lower the fasting blood sugar levels by around 2 percent and fats in the blood by around 11 percent. In addition, if you spend more time standing, you are more likely to have higher levels of good cholesterol.

Researchers suggest that people should incorporate standing accompanied by other physical activities to stay fit and healthy. They believe that on an average, standing for extra 2 hours every day in the form of stepping can help reduce the waist by around 3 inches and the body mass index by around 11 percent. The study tends to point out the importance of standing when the average self-reported sitting time ranges somewhere between 3 and 7 hours every day.

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