A sit-to-stand desk makes it easy to be less sedentary while you work. But what about when you aren’t working?
In a new study, men and women in an office who switched from sit-only to sit-to-stand desks for three months did indeed spend less time sitting and more time standing during the work day. And less time sitting can mean better health. But when these study subjects weren’t at work, they sat for more time and were less active than they had been before getting the new desks.
Why would they do that? It’s called the compensation effect. We know about it when it comes to eating—I had a salad at lunch, let’s have pizza for dinner! Now we know it applies to sitting versus standing, too.
Bottom line: Stand more during the day if you can—just make sure you don’t flop on the couch and stay there all evening when you get home! To learn new ways to do that, see Bottom Line’s article, Sitting Too Long? 7 Really Quick Fitness Breaks.
