A recent study from the University of California, San Diego suggests that the simple act of standing up more frequently could offer measurable heart health benefits for postmenopausal women. The research, which focused on women with overweight or obesity, found that increasing the number of daily sit-to-stand movements was linked to improvements in blood pressure. The findings, published in the journal Circulation, indicate that such changes in everyday behaviour could have a meaningful impact on cardiovascular wellness without requiring strenuous exercise.
Lead author Sheri Hartman, Ph.D., professor at UC San Diego’s Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, noted that while public health advice often encourages people to “sit less,” it does not always provide practical strategies. This study shows that breaking up sitting time with short standing intervals — even if overall sitting time is not significantly reduced — can help to support healthy blood pressure levels. The approach offers a straightforward, accessible way to improve wellbeing, especially for women in the postmenopausal stage of life who may be at increased risk for heart disease.
The research formed part of the Rise for Health Study, a randomised controlled trial exploring how changes in sedentary behaviour might affect blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Postmenopausal women typically spend much of their waking day seated, which can raise their risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and premature mortality. Participants in the study were divided into three groups: one aimed to “sit less” overall, another was instructed to focus on more frequent sit-to-stand movements, and a control group received only general health information without any changes to their sitting habits.
Over three months, the “sit less” group succeeded in reducing their sitting time by an average of 75 minutes per day and saw some blood pressure improvements. However, these changes were not statistically significant. By contrast, the “sit-to-stand” group increased their number of daily standing events by an average of 25 and lowered their diastolic blood pressure by 2.24 mmHg compared with the control group. While this reduction did not reach the clinically significant threshold of 3–5 mmHg, it still represents a positive change achieved in a short period. Interestingly, neither intervention produced substantial improvements in blood sugar levels, suggesting that such benefits may require different or more prolonged behavioural changes.
The researchers believe that more substantial results might emerge over a longer time frame and have already applied for additional funding to extend their investigation. Future studies will examine both strategies over a longer period and include older men as well as women. The potential for cumulative benefits from small, repeated movements throughout the day offers a promising avenue for public health strategies targeting older adults who may not be able to engage in high-intensity activity.
Co-author Andrea Z. LaCroix, Ph.D., distinguished professor at the same institution, expressed optimism about the participants’ ability to set their own goals and successfully change their behaviours. She emphasised that realistic, everyday actions — such as standing up an additional 25 times per day, roughly twice an hour over 12 waking hours — could be achievable for a wide range of people. While more research is needed, the message from this study is that even modest, consistent changes in daily habits may contribute to better heart health after menopause, providing an attainable and sustainable approach to wellness.
More information: Sheri Hartman et al, Impacts of Reducing Sitting Time or Increasing Sit-to-Stand Transitions on Blood Pressure and Glucose Regulation in Postmenopausal Women: Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial, Circulation. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.073385
Journal information: Circulation Provided by University of California – San Diego
