Barre with Justine

Before the end of every hour, my FitBit lights up and tells me how many steps I have left to hit my goal of 150 steps/hour each day. While this can be a frustrating reminder if you are in a great flow of ideas or stuck in a meeting, it is a prompt that is ESSENTIAL to our health. We are not designed to sit for long periods of time and it is very hard on our bodies to resist the natural urge to get up, move around, and stretch.

The Dangers of Sitting for Long Periods of Time…

For nearly 75 years, researchers have connected sitting for long periods of time with negative health outcomes including increased risk for cardiovascular disease and postural problems. More recent research has found that sitting can mean a higher risk of dementia (and other cognitive problems), diabetes, and mortality. The problem with sitting is that our muscles are not firing up, meaning the blood isn’t flowing as efficiently to our organs (including the brain!). Joints and muscles can also stiffen up contributing to low back, neck, and hip pain.

During COVID, many of those working from home were able to add more movement into their daily life whether walking at lunch or just getting up to make a coffee in the kitchen. Now, as many of us return to the office, we may find those opportunities for movement are dwindling; on campus, most of our meetings remain online so even if we are at work, we don’t need to physically leave the office to join the meeting.

Despite the gloomy nature of the research, one of the most reassuring findings is how simple it can be to dramatically reverse the negative effects of sitting. A 2015 study found that as little as 2 minutes of gentle walking per hour lowered the mortality risk of prolonged sitting by 33%.

Regular physical exercise is also crucial but it’s important to note that you still need to move throughout the day (thanks for reminding me FitBit!). A 2022 study of regular exercisers found that 30 minutes of physical activity did not offset the sitting that people did the rest of the day, leading to elevated blood sugar, cholesterol and body fat.

What about Exercise Balls or Standing Desks?

Based on the (mixed) research, exercise balls are not a great substitute for a chair. While one study found increased heart rate and caloric expenditure sitting on a ball, another found that sitting on a stability ball increased discomfort in the low back and yet another found the possibility of compression in the vertebrae.

Many desk workers have embraced standing desks and, while there appears to be benefits for muscle soreness, they may not address the issues involved with prolonged sitting. We need to MOVE throughout the day and, as one article states bluntly, “standing is not exercise.”

What to do – build in walking & stretching breaks!

Walking will help to get boost your heart rate and get your blood flowing….stretching will help ease any tension in your muscles and relieve stress. Consider getting up for a 5 minute walk after a 30 minute block of work AND adding in a few beautiful stretches before getting back on task.

There’s a reason that I titled this post “Stand up and Stretch” and not “desk stretches.” While seated stretches can be very soothing, the importance of standing up (if possible) cannot be overstated. When we stand, our muscles are more active and stimulate blood flow. The ideal workday is a combination of sitting, standing, and moving.

My Favourite Workday Stretches

Read More:

Bonnet, Cédrick T., and Boris Cheval. “Sitting vs. Standing: An Urgent Need to Rebalance Our World.” Health Psychology Review, vol. 0, no. 0, 2022, pp. 1–22,

Carroll, Aaron E. “Are You Sitting Down? Standing Desks Are Overrated.” The New York Times, 19 Nov. 2018,

Carter, Sophie E., et al. “Regular Walking Breaks Prevent the Decline in Cerebral Blood Flow Associated with Prolonged Sitting.” Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 125, no. 3, Sept. 2018, pp. 790–98,

Duran, Andrea T., et al. “Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting to Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: Dose–Response Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 55, no. 5, May 2023, p. 847.

Farrahi V, et al. “Joint Profiles of Sedentary Time and Physical Activity in Adults and Their Associations with Cardiometabolic Health.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. . 2022 Dec 1;54(12):2118-2128.

Gerald, J. “Brief Walks May Counter Health Dangers of Too Much Sitting.” Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, vol. 33, no. 6, Aug. 2015, p. 7.

Howard  , Bethany. “Health Check: Sitting versus Standing.” The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2023, theconversation.com/health-check-sitting-versus-standing-30145.

McGill SM, Kavcic NS, Harvey E. Sitting on a chair or an exercise ball: various perspectives to guide decision making. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2006 May;21(4):353-60.

Snape, Joel. “Should I Worry about How Long I Spend Sitting Down?” The Guardian, 14 May 2023,

Snarr RL, Langford EL, Ryan GA, Wilhoite S. Cardiovascular and metabolic responses of active sitting while performing work-related tasks. Ergonomics. 2019 Sep;62(9):1227-1233.