If you're standing at your desk right now, you may want to sit down for this.
A recent study of people who use standing desks at work for 40-45 minutes per day showed that the practice didn't have any measurable health benefits—and that people who used them overestimated the amount of exercise they got.
In other words, while standing desks may be a first step in the right direction for people with sedentary lifestyles, it needs to be supplemented with more physical activity.
"Even if you [exercise] three times a week for 20 minutes, a low-paced walk, it has benefits," said Arthur Caplan, the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center.
"I don't think anyone has really found benefits just standing. You're not doing much metabolically, or burning much energy, or putting your muscles to much use," he continued.
Caplan says: use your standing desk if you like it, but don't think of it as a substitute for more vigorous exercise.
"Sitting isn't doing much for you either, don't get me wrong," he said. "But you have to move."
To hear more from Arthur Caplan, tune in to Boston Public Radio above.
