"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Getting out of a chair boosts metabolism in postmenopausal women.

There is growing evidence that sitting for long periods of time can pose health risks. However, little is thought about how occasional standing may counteract the consequences of sitting. A team of researchers from the UK and Australia designed a two-day study involving 22 chubby or obese postmenopausal women with high blood sugar who were liable to diabetes. On the primary day, women were assigned to one among three groups. One group sat for 7.5 hours. The other two sat for a 7.5-hour period, but one group was asked to face in place for five minutes every half hour, and the opposite was asked to walk for five minutes every half hour. On the second day, all groups sat upright for 7.5 hours.

On each days, the researchers tested each participant's blood glucose, insulin, fatty acids, and triglycerides, all indicators of metabolism. They found that each walking and standing reduced glucose, insulin and fatty acids – those that either stood or walked on a regular basis had a better metabolic rate than those that sat on a regular basis. . Moreover, within the two lively groups, a few of the useful effects endured until the subsequent day, when everyone sat through all the session.

A duration of seven.5 hours roughly corresponds to a mean work day. Taking regular breaks to face or walk is an easy practice that could be easily incorporated into the workday and might provide a metabolic boost. The article appeared within the January 2016 issue. Diabetes care.

Image: Thinkstock