Research Design Connection: Quantifying Sitting Solutions

Several studies have recently documented the benefits of reducing time sitting. New findings quantify relationships between being seated and walking and health. Research published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology reveals that “engaging in low intensity activities such as standing may not be enough to offset the health hazards of sitting for long periods of time…adding two minutes of walking each hour to your routine just might do the trick…there is no benefit to decreasing sitting by two minutes each hour, and adding a corresponding two minutes more of low intensity activities. However, a “trade-off” of sitting for light intensity activities [e.g. casual walking, light gardening, cleaning] for two minutes each hour was associated with a 33% lower risk of dying.” Data were collected from more than 3,200 individuals. Designers can encourage walking by creating functional inconveniences, such as longer walks to rest rooms, for example.

“Walking an Extra Two Minutes Each Hour May Offset Hazards of Sitting Too Long.” 2015. Press release, University of Utah Health Care, http://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/2015/04/04-30-15_short_walks_offset_hazards_of_sitting_too_long.php

Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.