For individuals in the pre-diabetic stage or with diabetes, at least 150 minutes of exercise per week is recommended, and it is well known that exercise can improve blood sugar levels. However, finding extra time to exercise in a busy daily schedule is not easy. Still, since giving up exercise and blood sugar management is not an option, I will suggest alternatives that can be done without setting aside special time, even while working on office tasks.

 

Today's quiz: Will blood sugar levels rise less just by standing?

 

The correct answer is O.

 

Core Evidence 1. The following is a study conducted on middle-aged women with an average age of 66.6 years who are overweight or obese and have high blood sugar levels. The participants in this study ate the same food, but only differed in ▲ sitting time ▲ standing time ▲ walking time.

 

1) Group 1: Sitting for a long time (sitting for 7.5 hours on a chair)

2) Group 2: Sitting in a chair for 30 minutes followed by standing for 5 minutes, repeated (total of 6.5 hours of sitting and a total of 60 minutes of standing).

3) Group 3: Sit in a chair for 30 minutes, then walk lightly for 5 minutes repeatedly (total of 6.5 hours sitting and 60 minutes walking).

All participants measured their blood sugar at the same time, and the blood sugar levels for each group are shown below.

The area of post-meal blood sugar increase decreased by 34% in Group 2 and 28% in Group 3 compared to Group 1. Additionally, the area of post-meal insulin increase decreased by 20% in Group 2 and 37% in Group 3 compared to Group 1.

 

The key takeaway from the above results is that even just standing briefly while doing office work can help with blood sugar management. However, in the study above, it was not statistically confirmed whether 'standing for 5 minutes' or 'lightly walking for 5 minutes' at 30-minute intervals is more beneficial for blood sugar control. Generally, walking is more effective than standing for improving blood sugar, but it is presumed that no statistically significant difference was observed with such a short duration of only 5 minutes.

Key Evidence 2. This time, we will look at an experiment conducted with office workers who work while sitting. The study participants were individuals who were overweight or obese but not diagnosed with diabetes. Workers who do not usually sit while working were excluded. The participants were divided into two groups as shown below, and they drank the same beverage prepared for the experiment. Blood sugar levels were measured every hour.

 

Group 1: Sitting work (performing tasks while seated in a chair for 8 hours)

Group 2: 30 minutes sitting + 30 minutes standing (alternating between sitting in a chair for 30 minutes and standing for 30 minutes repeatedly over 8 hours)

As a result, the area of increased blood sugar was 11% lower in Group 2 compared to Group 1. For those who usually sit while working, just standing at a standing desk for 30 minutes can improve blood sugar levels.

Core Evidence 3. If repeatedly sitting down and standing up is inconvenient, working at a standing desk after meals is also a good method. In the following study, participants were asked to sit and work after lunch on the first day, and stand and work after lunch on the second day. The participants' blood sugar levels were measured for 185 minutes after lunch.

Looking at the result graph, the blood sugar fluctuation between the two groups gradually began to diverge after 55 minutes post-meal. When sitting and working, blood sugar increased up to a maximum of 3.1 mmol/L (about 56 mg/dL) at 85 minutes after eating, whereas when standing and working, blood sugar increased to a maximum of 1.8 mmol/L (about 32 mg/dL) at 55 minutes post-meal. The fluctuation in blood sugar after meals was reduced by approximately 43% when standing compared to sitting.

Why did this result occur? Muscles primarily consume glucose as an energy source. Just standing up uses more energy than sitting, which leads to increased glucose consumption by the muscles and results in lower blood sugar levels when standing. Additionally, simply standing or walking after a meal slows down digestion, causing post-meal blood sugar levels to rise more gradually.

Of course, investing a lot of time and exercising diligently is the best option, but if that is realistically impossible, I hope you will try the methods introduced today. I would like to reiterate that the methods introduced today are alternatives for those who have no time at all to exercise, and if possible, I recommend setting aside time to walk for at least 150 minutes or more per week with sufficient intensity.

 

Lastly, even if you are not diabetic, if you spend a lot of time sitting and have no time to exercise, I hope you will use the methods introduced today to take care of both your work and your health.

 

Today's conclusion,

1. Patients with prediabetes or diabetes are recommended to exercise at least 150 minutes per week.

If you are unable to exercise at all, repeatedly standing up for about 5 to 30 minutes can also help improve blood sugar levels.

3. If repeatedly sitting down and standing up is cumbersome, working at a standing desk for more than an hour after a meal (preferably more than three hours) is also a good way to improve blood sugar levels.

4. Standing work is an alternative for those who have no time to exercise at all; if you can find the time, let's do enough exercise to manage blood sugar levels.

5. Even if you are not diabetic, if you spend a long time sitting and have no time to exercise, try standing work to take care of both your work and health.

 

 

===========================

 

 

Because I work at a desk every day in an office job,

On days when I frequently go back and forth between the field and the office at work, I walk a bit more.

On days when I don't do that, I sit in the office for about 5-6 hours.

 

Just standing there from time to time is helpful.

 

Sometimes when I go to get coffee or drink water

Doing some light stretching in the break room.

This is going well.