I bought a standing desk this summer when I changed jobs and now have the luxury of working from home when I’m not out training clients. I did it because I know I tend to slouch when I sit, that I think best when I’m on my feet (generally, pacing, but that’s a different story), and by standing I figured I’d generally be more active during the day. However, I ran across a new reason why I should be standing while I work (of course, I’m sitting as I type this).
An article published in Science Daily from June of this year reports that physiologists analyzing obesity, heart disease, and diabetes found that the act of sitting shuts down the circulation of a fat-absorbing enzyme called lipase. They found that standing up engages muscles and promotes the distribution of lipase, which prompts the body to process fat and cholesterol, independent of the amount of time spent exercising. They also found that standing up uses blood glucose and may discourage the development of diabetes.
Apparently, if you sit, the fat will recirculate in the blood stream and go and be stored as body fat or it can clog arteries and cause diseases. Plasma samples were taken from the same person after eating the same meal. When they ate sitting down, the sample was cloudy, but when they ate while standing up, it was clear.
Interesting stuff…
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