Interrupting Sitting for Sedentary Lifestyle

Overseen By Lindsay Dillon

Age: 18+

Sex: Female

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, San Diego

Must not be taking: Vasodilators, Immunosuppressants, Corticosteroids, others

Disqualifiers: Type 1 diabetes, Poor glycemic control, Hypertension, Chronic illness, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 5 hours per session

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how breaking up long periods of sitting affects metabolism and healthy aging in postmenopausal women. Participants will try different methods to interrupt sitting, such as frequent sit-to-stands or longer standing breaks. The research aims to find simple, effective ways to boost health and wellness for women who typically sit for 8 or more hours daily. Women who have not had a period for at least a year, are generally healthy, and are not currently very active might be a good fit. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research that could enhance daily health practices.

Do I need to stop my current medications for the trial?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you regularly use vasodilators, immunosuppressants, or corticosteroids, you may not be eligible to participate.

What prior data suggests that this protocol is safe for postmenopausal women?

A previous study found that taking frequent breaks from sitting by standing up improved how the body manages blood sugar, which is important for staying healthy. Research has also shown that standing up regularly can lower the risk of health issues related to excessive sitting, such as heart disease and diabetes. These studies suggest that standing breaks are generally safe and easy to implement.

For those in the "Stand More" group, data showed that taking short standing breaks reduced blood sugar spikes after meals compared to continuous sitting. This suggests that standing more often might help control blood sugar better and is considered safe.

Overall, breaking up sitting time by standing or moving appears to be a safe way to improve health, especially for postmenopausal women. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores innovative ways to counteract the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, which is a growing concern in today's digital age. Unlike traditional recommendations that focus on structured exercise routines, this study examines the potential benefits of simply interrupting prolonged sitting with brief, regular activities. The "Frequent Sit-to-Stands" approach encourages a 2-minute stand every 15 minutes, while the "Stand More" method involves longer standing breaks each hour. These methods could offer practical, easily adoptable strategies to boost health and well-being without major lifestyle overhauls.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for improving metabolism in postmenopausal women?

In this trial, participants will follow different strategies to interrupt prolonged sitting. The "Frequent Sit-to-Stands" strategy involves standing every 15 minutes. Previous studies have shown that this can significantly lower diastolic blood pressure compared to maintaining sitting routines, suggesting that frequent standing can help manage blood pressure better.

The "Stand More" strategy involves taking longer standing breaks. Research indicates that reducing sitting time by standing more can improve health. For instance, individuals who alternated between sitting and standing at work sat less overall, which is linked to a lower risk of health problems, such as heart disease. Both methods in this trial aim to improve health by breaking up long periods of sitting. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for postmenopausal women over 55 who are generally sedentary, with a BMI of 25-45 kg/m2. They must be medically stable, not involved in other physical activity studies, and able to commit to the study's requirements. Exclusions include those with significant weight changes recently, uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension, certain chronic illnesses like active cancer or HIV/AIDS, smokers, and those on specific medications.

Inclusion Criteria

able to give informed consent & comply with study protocols;

I sit for 8+ hours, stand up <60 times, and do <20 mins of exercise daily.

Your body mass index (BMI) falls between 25 and 45.

Exclusion Criteria

Your weight has not changed by more than 5% (either up or down) in the last 3 months.

My blood pressure is not higher than 165/100.

I have type 2 diabetes and use insulin or my blood sugar control is poor.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants undergo a randomized crossover trial to test the effects of different sitting interruption modalities on biomarkers of healthy aging

5 hours per session

Multiple sessions (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for any immediate effects post-treatment

1 day

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Frequent sit-to-stands
• Stand More

Trial Overview The trial examines if interrupting sitting time with frequent sit-to-stands or standing more can improve metabolism as part of healthy aging. It's a randomized crossover clinical trial where participants will experience different conditions to compare effects on their health markers.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Stand More (Protocol C) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Following a 1-hour sitting run-in period, participants will sit for a 5-hour period including 5 8-minute standing breaks, 1 per hour, and a mid-point bathroom break.

Group II: Frequent Sit-to-Stands (Protocol B) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Following a 1-hour sitting run-in period, participants will sit for a 5-hour period including a 2-min stand every 15 min throughout the 5-hr protocol period and a mid-point bathroom break.

Group III: Control Condition (Protocol A) Active Control 1 Intervention

Following a one-hour sitting run-in period, participants will sit for a 5-hour period including a mid-point bathroom break.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, San Diego

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,215

Recruited

1,593,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12342652/

Impacts of Reducing Sitting Time or Increasing Sit-to-Stand ... Blood Pressure Outcomes. The Sit-to-Stand arm significantly decreased diastolic blood pressure compared to the Healthy Living arm. The ...

2. ahajournals.org ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.073385

Impacts of Reducing Sitting Time or Increasing Sit-to-Stand ... This trial demonstrated the feasibility of changing sedentary behaviors as well as the distinct nature of sitting time and STST. Increasing STST ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12117936/

Usage and effectiveness of strategies to sit less and move more Those using height adjustable desks at all had the greatest reductions in sitting time (-16.0% of worktime) followed by those who never used ...

4. jamanetwork.com jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2814094

Occupational Sitting Time, Leisure Physical Activity, and All ... Individuals who predominantly engaged in sitting at work exhibited a higher risk of mortality from all causes (16%) and cardiovascular disease (34%).

5. bmj.com bmj.com/content/378/bmj-2021-069288

Effectiveness of an intervention for reducing sitting time ... Time spent in prolonged sitting was lower in both intervention groups compared with the control group. Reductions in sitting time were largely ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7700832/

Sedentary Lifestyle: Overview of Updated Evidence ... Sedentary Lifestyles and Cancer Risk​​ Prolonged sitting increases colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, and prostate cancer risks, and it has been ...

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3404815/

Too Much Sitting: The Population-Health Science of ... Even when adults meet physical activity guidelines, sitting for prolonged periods can compromise metabolic health. TV time and objective-measurement studies ...

8. cdc.gov cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0318.htm

Prompts to Disrupt Sitting Time and Increase Physical ... The Stand group significantly reduced total sitting time (by 6.6%), duration of the longest sitting bout (by 29%), and number of sitting bouts ...

9. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sms.14769

Optimal Frequency of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting for ... Based on these findings, interrupting sedentary time at least, every 30 min may be an ideal strategy to improve glucose control. 1 Introduction.