People are being encourage to get up more, as replacing some of your sitting time with standing could improve cholesterol, blood fat and blood sugar levels, according to a new study.

Australian researchers provided almost 800 men and women, who were aged between 36 and 80, with activity monitors. These monitors accurately measured how long each participant spent sitting down, lying down, sleeping, standing and stepping, i.e. walking and running.

The participants also provided blood samples and had their weight, height, waist circumference and blood pressure measured.

The monitors were worn 24 hours a day over a seven-day period. The researchers then used a statistical method to estimate the impact on health of swapping sitting time for standing or stepping.

They found that people who spent more time standing rather than sitting had healthier cholesterol, blood fat and blood sugar levels. Meanwhile, those who replaced sitting with walking had a healthier body mass index (BMI) and a smaller waistline.

"We found that time spent standing rather than sitting was significantly associated with lower levels of blood sugar and blood fats. Replacing sitting time with stepping was also associated with a significant reduction in waistline and BMI.

"While the study cannot show that less time spent sitting causes the improvements in these markers of health, the associations it reveals are consistent with what is known already about the benefits of a non-sedentary lifestyle," commented senior researcher, Dr Genevieve Healy, of the University of Queensland.

The study found that an extra two hours a day spent standing rather than sitting was linked with a 2% lower fasting blood sugar level and an 11% lower blood fat level. It was also associated with a higher level of ‘good' cholesterol and a lower level of ‘bad' cholesterol in the body.

Meanwhile, replacing two hours a day of sitting with stepping was linked with an 11% lower average BMI and a 7.5cm smaller average waist circumference.

"These findings provide important preliminary evidence that strategies to increase the amount of time spent standing or walking, rather than sitting, may benefit the heart and metabolism of many people. Get up for your heart health and move for your waistline," Dr Healy said.

She insisted that these findings have important public health implications, given that standing ‘can be encouraged in the workplace with interventions such as sit-stand desks'.

"It is important to say that not all sitting is bad, but if people can incorporate alternatives to sitting wherever possible, it may benefit their heart and metabolic health. Our message is to stand up, sit less, move more."

Details of these findings are published in the European Heart Journal. In an accompanying editorial, Prof Francisco Lopez-Jimenez of the Mayo Clinic in the US, said that the study further highlights the important of avoiding a sedentary lifestyle.

"The fight against sedentary behaviour cannot be won based only on the promotion of regular exercise. A person walking while at work for two hours, standing for another four hours, and performing some daily chores at home for another hour, will burn more calories than jogging or running for 60 minutes," he noted.