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'Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies

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Re: 'Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies

#21

Post by iammjm »

eatsyourtacos wrote: post #3
nbosse wrote: post #2

I'm confused by this... It seems to me like the relevant part is "playing computer games is good" not "the type of sitting you do matters". Playing computer games while standing might be even better

It's probably more "active" sitting. If you are a gamer (especially computer gamer), you are generally not just sitting back "relaxing". Your body is more engaged and you are constantly moving your body in some way. Sitting and watching tv you can literally be completely still for long periods of time.

Consider StarCraft: Brood War, a legendary real-time strategy game. To be played well, it requires between 200-400 actions per minute (APM), with some players going even beyond 500 APM. Some games last for more than an hour. Players use both the mouse and the keyboard. There's always more to do than you can realistically do. You are always putting out fires, managing your economy, producing units, securing income, carrying multiple attacks at once, fighting tactical battles, and executing strategic goals. Yeah I'd call that a pretty active sitting :)

Re: 'Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies

#23

Post by gamerdonkey »

helph67 wrote: post #8
nbosse wrote: post #2

I'm confused by this... It seems to me like the relevant part is "playing computer games is good" not "the type of sitting you do matters". Playing computer games while standing might be even better

"A professor at the Institute for Work and Health found that people who stand throughout the day at their jobs have a 2.2 times higher risk of developing heart disease than those people who sit during the day." https://www.ergolink.com.au/blog/standing-vs-sitting-at-a-de...

I was a little miffed that this blog didn't include a link to that particular study, especially with how vague the citation is, so I went and found the original publication[0].

Of note, they have a "Setting the record straight" addendum[1] that includes a couple important quotes:

"Misconception #1: Office workers should now be confused about whether they should sit or stand, and about whether sit/stand stations are a good idea. They shouldn’t be, says Smith. The study’s main finding was about workers who are required to stand for long periods (i.e. five hours or more) throughout their work shift, without opportunities to sit. Extending this to any worker who stands (e.g. an office worker using a sit-stand desk) is not correct. This is because office workers who stand at these types of workstations likely have the option to sit down when they get tired or when they feel pain in their legs and back."

and

"Misconception #2: We no longer have to worry about the negative health effects of prolonged sitting, thanks to this study. Not so fast, says Smith. There was nothing in this study to refute the research on the health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. Much of that research is about sitting too much throughout the day—at work, while commuting and at home. This study only focused on prolonged sitting and prolonged standing at work.

"And even within the study, another finding about prolonged sitting at work got lost in the coverage. Yes, prolonged standing occupations were linked with twice the risk of heart disease as prolonged sitting jobs. However, prolonged sitting jobs were still linked, among men, with a 40 per cent higher risk of heart disease compared to jobs that involve a mix of standing, sitting and walking."

[0]: https://www.iwh.on.ca/newsletters/at-work/90/standing-too-lo...

[1]: https://www.iwh.on.ca/news/study-on-prolonged-standing-and-h...

Re: 'Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies

#24

Post by jesse_dot_id »

mhog_hn wrote: post #17
daedrdev wrote: post #16

Maybe in the future people will focus on solving problems some AGI can solve better to keep themselves in shape, like how exercise is a modern invention

Still in awe that AGI is happening

It's not happening.

Re: 'Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies

#25

Post by zemvpferreira »

nikkwong wrote: post #6

Original source: https://news.uq.edu.au/2026-01-not-all-sitting-same-when-it-... > "...Passive activities such as watching television have been linked to worse memory and cognitive skills, while ‘active sitting’ like playing cards or reading correlate with better brain health, researchers have found." ...Do these researchers even read this to themselves aloud before hitting publish? It's confounding that they would f…

It's malice, not stupidity. They know people will click stuff that says sitting is good. Sounds controversial just to think about it.

Re: 'Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies

#26

Post by collinmcnulty »

dexwiz wrote: post #10
goda90 wrote: post #9

"Passively watching TV" feels like a common target for brain health/strength/etc discussions. I'm curious if there's been any studies into the differences that engagement with television programs can have on the brain. There's been a whole breadth of television programming over the decades. I think it would be wrong to treat it all as equal in regards to how it impacts your brain.

I don't even think it's the same across viewers. When my partner and I watch some shows, we make prediction for the plot and evaluations of characters. We even have a bet book where we record and score predictions for some shows. It's makes watching much more engaging, especially if the creators hide details and foreshadowing in the background. But you don't even need high quality content to do this, just tighten the…

My wife and I do this for Survivor and The Amazing Race. We’re very engaged, debating strategy, making predictions. And then we watched with other people and they just … watched.

Re: 'Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies

#27

Post by hirako2000 »

gamerdonkey wrote: post #23
helph67 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"A professor at the Institute for Work and Health found that people who stand throughout the day at their jobs have a 2.2 times higher risk of developing heart disease than those people who sit during the day." https://www.ergolink.com.au/blog/standing-vs-sitting-at-a-de...

I was a little miffed that this blog didn't include a link to that particular study, especially with how vague the citation is, so I went and found the original publication[0]. Of note, they have a "Setting the record straight" addendum[1] that includes a couple important quotes: "Misconception #1: Office workers should now be confused about whether they should sit or stand, and about whether sit/stand stations are a…

Thank you, the nuance makes all the difference.

Re: 'Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies

#28

Post by PaulHoule »

eatsyourtacos wrote: post #3
nbosse wrote: post #2

I'm confused by this... It seems to me like the relevant part is "playing computer games is good" not "the type of sitting you do matters". Playing computer games while standing might be even better

It's probably more "active" sitting. If you are a gamer (especially computer gamer), you are generally not just sitting back "relaxing". Your body is more engaged and you are constantly moving your body in some way. Sitting and watching tv you can literally be completely still for long periods of time.

I am thinking about stance while sitting lately. I am breathing and speaking more from my belly and that starts with posture which is neither slouched forward or back.

Re: 'Active' sitting is better for brain health: review of studies

#29

Post by notahacker »

gamerdonkey wrote: post #23
helph67 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"A professor at the Institute for Work and Health found that people who stand throughout the day at their jobs have a 2.2 times higher risk of developing heart disease than those people who sit during the day." https://www.ergolink.com.au/blog/standing-vs-sitting-at-a-de...

I was a little miffed that this blog didn't include a link to that particular study, especially with how vague the citation is, so I went and found the original publication[0]. Of note, they have a "Setting the record straight" addendum[1] that includes a couple important quotes: "Misconception #1: Office workers should now be confused about whether they should sit or stand, and about whether sit/stand stations are a…

"workers who are required to stand without opportunities to sit" sounds like it's little to do with posture and everything to do with the kind of jobs that don't let people sit typically being lower paid gigs for a different demographic...
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