Increasing the life expectancy just by standing up more

[Lino249]

This is a discussion. We know from studies that sitting down for more than 5,6 hours a day can decrease life expectancy. A lot of that sitting down is at schools and universities (around 7 hours a day) which could do negatively for their future. Another point to consider is that some children are more active than others with some returning from school just go straight back to sitting down for homework. My question for you is: Do you think that we could increase life expectancy marginally or at all by getting children at schools to do more standing up during lessons (especially in double lessons) and to be more active during school time?. This would also go along with living in a time with the best medical treatment in history. I look forward to hearing your feedback on this topic.

[Phi for All]

This is a discussion. We know from studies that sitting down for more than 5,6 hours a day can decrease life expectancy. A lot of that sitting down is at schools and universities (around 7 hours a day) which could do negatively for their future. Another point to consider is that some children are more active than others with some returning from school just go straight back to sitting down for homework. My question for you is: Do you think that we could increase life expectancy marginally or at all by getting children at schools to do more standing up during lessons (especially in double lessons) and to be more active during school time?. This would also go along with living in a time with the best medical treatment in history. I look forward to hearing your feedback on this topic.

 

"We know from studies"? Can you link us to one please, so we're all discussing the same phenomenon?

 

Since rest breaks wouldn't really lessen the time spent sitting by very much (you'd need to add in 2-3 hours worth of breaks - nobody has time for that), I assume you're talking about a way to remain standing when you'd normally be sitting. I've seen some expensive work stations that feature more of a kneeling position. I'm intrigued, but not enough so far to try one out in a store.

 

Also, at least in the US, the younger the child is, the more standing up and running around is in the daily plan for most teachers. As they get older, and the study and subjects get more complex, they tend to spend more time at a desk, like their adult counterparts.

[Lino249]

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2015/05/08/sitting-too-long.aspx

This is a appropriate article and the video also helps with the understanding.

[jimmydasaint]

I scanned your article but I would assume that this is a multifactorial issue as with so many causes of disease. For example wine might have protective effects against heart attacks.

Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and protecting against artery damage.

 

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281

 

So long as a you sit down and hit the bottle, you could be OK. (Joke, Lino)

[hypervalent_iodine]

It's also worth noting that Mercola is an A+ crank and any health advice he gives is deserving of some heavy scrutiny. Do you have any scientific studies that support your claim?

[CharonY]

There is actually quite a body of evidence suggesting that sitting >3h is associated with overall higher morbidity. However, it is not trivial to separate the effects of sitting itself from confounding factors as sitting while watching TV was found to have stronger effect (>2.5h) than sitting at work, even adjusted for the same time. There are also (few) studies that do not see a benefit for longer standing.

 

As such it is not possible to extrapolate whether the inverse (i.e. standing) will actually benefit longevity. For example, all benefits of children standing could be lost if they start becoming sedentary later in life. Or it may have no influence at all until a certain age (there is not a lot of data on children as the studies are still relatively new). Or a sedentary lifestyle may be associated with other unhealthy factors, although there are conflicting results on adults that sit a lot, but also work out. In short, the research is not complete enough to definitively answer OP's question.

However, there is relatively new research that starts looking into the effects of standings in class rooms on academic performance, behaviour and overall physical activity. But again, health related data is still largely absent.

[The Angry Intellect]

On the subject of extending life, I heard somewhere that if you consistently sleep in cold conditions (with aircon?) that you slow the ageing process down a little bit.

 

Although I cannot verify this, it had something to do with making the body go into a deeper sleep, almost like hibernation.

[wissen85]

of course standing up can increase the blood flow and moving increases life expectancy even further. centenarians are known for being very active as opposed to inactive people who are short lived. life is motion as is our circulatory system.

[fiveworlds]

As such it is not possible to extrapolate whether the inverse (i.e. standing) will actually benefit longevity.

 

Well as anybody who ever had a six pack will tell you that when you are in a seated position your core muscles relax. Standing obviously tenses the core and is probably the right way to gain a six pack.

[Phi for All]

 

Well as anybody who ever had a six pack will tell you that when you are in a seated position your core muscles relax. Standing obviously tenses the core and is probably the right way to gain a six pack.

 

Well duh, you have to stand to get in your car and drive to the liquor store.

[Delta1212]

 

Well duh, you have to stand to get in your car and drive to the liquor store.

Well that's just lazy. If you were willing to put in only a tiny bit of effort, you could find a place that delivers.