A study of 4,000 office workers published Monday in the Journal of Preventive Medicine found that nine hours of daily sitting is not associated with adverse health outcomes, provided the sitter spends at least 20 minutes a day thinking about standing up.
Participants in the intervention group were asked to visualize themselves rising from their chairs, imagine the sensation of weight shifting to their feet, and then continue working. The control group was asked to sit.
After six years, the visualization group reported higher energy levels, better posture and a 12 percent increase in the belief that they owned a standing desk.
“The benefits appear to be primarily psychological, which is to say they are real,” said Dr. Ruth Calloway, the study’s lead author. “The body does not know the difference between standing and having a rich inner life about standing.”
The study’s limitations are considerable. It relied on self-reporting, and 31 percent of participants dropped out after being asked to stand up once.