“…In one analysis of sedentary behavior, participants were found to spend 14 hours sitting each day. In the NHANES nationally representative survey, the self-reported number of hours spent sedentary in 2007-2008 was 5.7, and this increased to 6.4 hours per day for 2015 – 2016 (Du et al 2019). Using accelerometry-derived data, U.S. adults spend 8.2 hours per day engaging in sedentary behavior, and adults in Europe sit 8.8 hours per day… Sitting for prolonged periods has been related to metabolic declines in health, and reducing sitting time has been included in the most recent [USDHHS] recommendations for physical activity. The idea is to reduce the amount of sitting each day and replace it with light physical activity, including standing. Standing should not be considered a sedentary activity and should be promoted throughout the day, by standing at coffee breaks, during phone calls, while emailing, and during work breaks, and by adding physical workstations to the workplace.”
Excerpted from Lohman TG, Milliken. The Science of Long-Term Weight Loss. Human Kinetics: Copyright ©2025.
