Sitting Increases Diabetes Risk and Makes Diabetes Worse

We’ve all heard it, sitting is the new smoking. While prolonged sitting is harmful to everyone, it’s worse for diabetes for two reasons. First, it increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Second, constantly sitting increases blood sugar and insulin resistance for those with diabetes. To put it another way, excessive sitting can either increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes or make your diabetes worse.

Sitting Increases Diabetes Risk

Sitting for long periods of time can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and death. Dr. Emma Wilmot of the England University of Leicester and her team analyzed 18 studies that together included 794,577 participants. They found that people who sat for long periods doubled their risk of developing diabetes, even if they exercised regularly.

The study also linked prolonged sitting to a greater risk of death from all causes, but the strongest link was to diabetes, Wilmot says.

Dr. Thomas Yates, who led the study, says “Even for people who are otherwise active, sitting for long stretches seems to be an independent risk factor for conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease.” 

Dr. Matthew Hobbs, Head of Research at Diabetes UK, said, “The overarching message is that spending a lot of time sitting or lying down can be bad for overall health and considerably increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”

Their findings are backed by a study from the Annals of Internal Medicine that found that prolonged periods of sitting increase the risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and death, regardless of whether a person exercises regularly.  

Standing Improves Blood Sugar and Insulin Resistance

Three studies prove that standing improves blood sugar and insulin resistance for diabetics:

One study found moving for 3 minutes every half hour improved blood glucose levels in adults with type 2 diabetes (https://www.diabetes.org/healthy-living/fitness/break-sitting-streak).

Another study shows that standing improves insulin resistance. Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland conducted a study with 64 participants to investigate the association between insulin resistance and a sedentary lifestyle. They concluded, “these findings encourage replacing sitting with standing for potential improvements in insulin sensitivity in adults at increased type 2 diabetes risk.”

The third study was conducted in Australia with 23 sedentary office workers. It found that participants who stood up every 30 minutes of the hour had significantly reduced blood sugar levels, compared to those who sat for 8 hours (https://fitness.org.au/articles/exercise-research-reviews/if-you-sit-all-day-at-work-standing-up-often-may-reduce-your-type-2-diabetes-risk/8/51/19).

WFH–a Mixed Blessing

I love being able to work from home. There are tremendous advantages to saving money and time on commuting and the comforts of being at home. However, it has created issues for many of us because it decreases our mobility.

The results from an Upright Pose survey of 2000 remote and hybrid workers in the U.S. gives us a scary insight into how sedentary working from home has made us (https://www.uprightpose.com/the-health-dilemma-of-the-work-from-home-era/).  

• Since working remotely, 54% of remote/hybrid workers estimate they’ve reduced their mobility during work hours by 50% or more
• On a typical remote workday, ‌36% sit ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌work‌ ‌chairs‌  nearly ‌the‌ ‌entire‌ ‌day, ‌ ‌63% ‌ ‌walk‌ ‌only‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌bathroom‌ ‌or‌ ‌kitchen, and 24% never leave the house
• Despite the recommended 8,000 steps per day, nearly half of remote workers take fewer than 1,000 steps during work hours
• 50% ‌ report pain in the lower back, 48% in the shoulders, and 52% in the eyes
• 82% of workers under 35 reported experiencing a physical health issue for the first time over the past year, and 70% of them sought medical treatment
• 78% ‌ ‌are concerned about the long-term health effects of a sedentary lifestyle

So, how do we reverse this sedentary lifestyle? We need to stand more and sit less. I bought a standing desk, and it has been one of the best purchases of my life. I also have the app, Big Stretch, on my work computer, which reminds me to get up and take breaks. Here are other tips for sitting less:

• Use a standing desk, standing desk converter, treadmill desk, or even a tall file cabinet for your laptop
• Stand while talking on the phone and during work meetings
• Stand during commercials
• Stand while doing tasks, such as tidying up and opening mail
• Set an alarm on the phone to take regular breaks
• Break up periods of sitting with activity every 30 minutes
• Use an app such as Big Stretch or Stand Up
• Walk during your lunch break
• Stand on public transportation

Conclusion

Research has revealed that sitting for prolonged times may increase the risk of developing diabetes, even if you exercise. If you think about it, exercising for 30 minutes will not undo the harms of sitting for hours. However, exercising is still important, but it must also include standing more. For diabetics, standing more can improve blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity. And that’s news we can all stand up and cheer for!

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