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Stand Up For Better Heart Health, Study Says

Standing

Sitting for long periods has been linked to increased cholesterol and blood sugar levels, which can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and weight gain, according to a new study.

Australian researchers report that sitting for too long is hazardous to your health, even if you exercise regularly, Newsmax reported.

“More time spent standing rather than sitting could improve your blood sugar, fats in the blood, and cholesterol levels,” according to Genevieve Healy, lead author of the study and senior research fellow at the University of Queenland in Herston.

Switching some of your sitting time to standing could have benefits for your heart and metabolism. More time spent standing rather than sitting could improve your blood sugar, fats in the blood and cholesterol levels, while replacing time spent sitting with time walking could have additional benefits for your waistline and body mass index.

The study, published last week in the European Heart Journal, has been summed up by with one message: “Stand up, sit less, move more.”

Standing is a healthy alternative to sitting, but researchers are just beginning to see that standing alone – even without exercise – is beneficial to health, KSL reports.

“The reason is because when we stand there are many muscles in our legs and butt and abdomen that are working to keep you standing,” said Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, director of preventative cardiology at the May Clinic in Rochester. Dr. Lopez-Jimenez wrote an editorial that accompanied the study.

The reason is because when we stand there are many muscles in our legs and butt and abdomen that are working to keep you standing. Whenever muscle is used, it consumes sugar and affects triglycerides.

Harvard Health Publications has a few suggestions for those whose lifestyles and jobs don’t keep you on your feet. They suggest standing when you are waiting for public transportation, watching TV, preparing meals, or even folding laundry. In addition, you can stand during meetings at work and while at your desk.

Exercising, even for just 30 minutes a day, can lengthen your life span and improve overall health, according to an unrelated study.

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