I hate exercising… but will my blood sugar level rise less if I just stand?

For those with prediabetes or diabetes, at least 150 minutes of exercise per week is recommended, and it's widely known that exercise improves blood sugar levels. However, it's not easy to find time to exercise in our busy schedules. However, we can't give up exercise and blood sugar management, so we'll share an alternative that you can do while working.

 

Today's quiz: Does just standing up help lower blood sugar levels?

 

The correct answer is O.

 

Key Evidence 1. The following study involved middle-aged women with an average age of 66.6 years who were overweight or obese and had high blood sugar levels. Participants in this study ate the same food, but varied their sitting time, standing time, and walking time.

 

1) Group 1: Prolonged sitting (sitting in a chair for 7.5 hours)

2) Group 2: Sitting on a chair for 30 minutes and then standing for 5 minutes, repeated (a total of 6.5 hours of sitting and 60 minutes of standing)

3) Group 3: Sitting on a chair for 30 minutes, then walking lightly for 5 minutes, repeated (they sat for a total of 6.5 hours and walked for a total of 60 minutes)

All participants had their blood sugar levels measured at the same time, and the blood sugar levels in each group were as follows:

The area where blood sugar levels rose after a meal was reduced by 34% in Group 2 and 28% in Group 3 compared to Group 1. Additionally, the area where insulin levels rose after a meal was reduced by 20% in Group 2 and 37% in Group 3 compared to Group 1.

 

The results above suggest that simply standing for a short period during office work can help manage blood sugar levels. However, the study did not statistically confirm whether standing for five minutes or walking briskly for five minutes every 30 minutes was more effective in managing blood sugar levels. While walking is generally more effective than standing in improving blood sugar levels, it appears that a short period of five minutes alone did not produce a statistically significant difference.

Key Evidence 2. This time, we'll examine an experiment conducted on sedentary office workers. Participants were overweight or obese, but not diagnosed with diabetes. Workers who did not typically work sedentary jobs were excluded. Participants were divided into two groups, as shown below, and drank the same beverage prepared for the experiment. Their blood sugar levels were measured every hour.

 

1) Group 1: Sitting at work (working in a seated position on a chair for 8 hours)

2) Group 2: 30 minutes sitting + 30 minutes standing (repeat 30 minutes of sitting on a chair and 30 minutes of standing for 8 hours)

As a result, the area where blood sugar levels rose was 11% lower in Group 2 than in Group 1. This suggests that even just 30 minutes of standing at a standing desk can improve blood sugar levels for those who typically sit at work.

Key Evidence 3. If you find it cumbersome to repeatedly sit and stand, standing at a standing desk after a meal is also a good option. In the following study, participants were asked to sit and work after lunch on the first day, and then stand and work after lunch on the second day. After lunch, the participants had their blood sugar levels measured for 185 minutes.

Looking at the results graph, the blood sugar fluctuations between the two groups began to gradually widen after 55 minutes after a meal. When working while sitting, blood sugar levels rose to a maximum of 3.1 mmol/L (about 56 mg/dl) 85 minutes after a meal, whereas when working while standing, blood sugar levels rose to a maximum of 1.8 mmol/L (about 32 mg/dl) 55 minutes after a meal. This means that the postprandial blood sugar fluctuations were reduced by about 43% when working while standing compared to when working while sitting.

Why did this result come about? Muscles preferentially consume sugar as an energy source. Simply standing consumes more energy than sitting, resulting in increased sugar consumption and a lower rise in blood sugar. Furthermore, standing or walking after a meal slows digestion, slowing the rise in postprandial blood sugar.

Of course, investing significant time and diligent exercise is ideal, but if that's not realistic, I encourage you to try the methods I've introduced today. I want to reiterate that these methods are intended for those who simply don't have time to exercise. If possible, I recommend setting aside time to engage in sufficient exercise, such as walking or at least 150 minutes a week.

 

Lastly, even if you are not diabetic, if you sit for long periods of time and do not have time to exercise, I hope you can use the methods introduced today to take care of both work and health.

 

Conclusion for today,

1. It is recommended that people with pre-diabetes or diabetes exercise for more than 150 minutes per week.

2. If you cannot exercise at all, standing up for 5 to 30 minutes repeatedly can also help improve blood sugar levels.

3. If you find it cumbersome to repeatedly sit down and stand up, standing at a standing desk for more than an hour (or more than three hours if possible) after eating is also a good way to improve your blood sugar level.

4. Standing at work is an alternative for those who have no time to exercise. If you can make time, make sure to get enough exercise to manage your blood sugar.

5. Even if you don't have diabetes, if you sit for a long time and don't have time to exercise, take advantage of standing while working to take care of both work and health.

 

 

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Because I have an office job where I sit down every day,

On days when I have to commute between the office and the field, I walk a little more.

On other days, I sit in the office for about 5-6 hours.

 

Just standing up every now and then helps.

 

Sometimes when I go out for coffee or drink water

Doing some stretching in the steam room

This is going well