How bad is lying down compared to sitting?
March 5, 2015 2:06 PM Subscribe
This question is directed towards anyone with a medical background. I've read a few articles online that talk about how bad sitting is for health, but I couldn't find much on the detrimental effects of lying down when compared to sitting. I lie down a fair amount, especially on my days off - sleeping in late, listening to music in bed, etc. - and would like to know just how bad this is for my health. Obviously too much of either isn't good, but are all forms of sedentary equally unhealthy?
During the work week, I try to get up and stretch/grab coffee/walk around at least every hour, but I tend to be super-lazy on my days off. There's no problem when I have plans with friends, but on the days where I don't have plans I usually spend a good amount of time screwing around in bed with my laptop, for anywhere in the vicinity of one to six hours. (This is highly dependent on whether or not I'm currently addicted to a series on Netflix.)
Some of this time is spent sitting, but most is spent lying down. Including sleep, on a really bad day I might spend 16 hours on my butt in some form or another. I do make sure to exercise every day for at least an hour, though.
So let's say I decide to spend two hours in bed watching Netflix. Are those two hours spent lying down just as unhealthy as if I was to spend them sitting instead? I get that they're both sedentary activities and too much sedentary = bad, but I'm hoping it's at least somewhat better since you're not placing stress on the spine? I'd love to get some insight from someone with some medical expertise. Thanks.
During the work week, I try to get up and stretch/grab coffee/walk around at least every hour, but I tend to be super-lazy on my days off. There's no problem when I have plans with friends, but on the days where I don't have plans I usually spend a good amount of time screwing around in bed with my laptop, for anywhere in the vicinity of one to six hours. (This is highly dependent on whether or not I'm currently addicted to a series on Netflix.)
Some of this time is spent sitting, but most is spent lying down. Including sleep, on a really bad day I might spend 16 hours on my butt in some form or another. I do make sure to exercise every day for at least an hour, though.
So let's say I decide to spend two hours in bed watching Netflix. Are those two hours spent lying down just as unhealthy as if I was to spend them sitting instead? I get that they're both sedentary activities and too much sedentary = bad, but I'm hoping it's at least somewhat better since you're not placing stress on the spine? I'd love to get some insight from someone with some medical expertise. Thanks.
Here is a long article that goes into posture which in part deconstructs and expands on the idea that there is a correct posture.
Stressing your spine however you want is fine, and in my opinion it isn't a concern until you're talking about lifting pretty large weights. We're bipedal creatures and we're capable of long lives with tremendous amounts of movement throughout our lifespans. The idea that our spines are at all fragile is mostly salesmanship from the smartest surgeons down to the most woo-based alternative medicine practitioners searching for your medical dollars. Think about how we contemplate headaches versus low back pain. When you go to a doctor or any other practitioner for headaches, do they say "stop moving your neck" or "you need spinal fusion surgery?" Outside of real and diagnosable issues like nerve root problems, you never get that kind of response. You hear things like "you're under a lot of stress."
posted by MillMan at 3:08 PM on March 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Stressing your spine however you want is fine, and in my opinion it isn't a concern until you're talking about lifting pretty large weights. We're bipedal creatures and we're capable of long lives with tremendous amounts of movement throughout our lifespans. The idea that our spines are at all fragile is mostly salesmanship from the smartest surgeons down to the most woo-based alternative medicine practitioners searching for your medical dollars. Think about how we contemplate headaches versus low back pain. When you go to a doctor or any other practitioner for headaches, do they say "stop moving your neck" or "you need spinal fusion surgery?" Outside of real and diagnosable issues like nerve root problems, you never get that kind of response. You hear things like "you're under a lot of stress."
posted by MillMan at 3:08 PM on March 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think you're referring to the recent push about sitting and metabolic syndrome. Activity helps your metabolism and sitting or laying down lots of non sleeping time prevents your body from functioning normally. If you are getting less than 3000 steps a day or sitting or laying down for long stretches of time, you may be at increased risk of diabetes and heart attack. If you get up and get some activity for five minutes an hour you'll be doing better. I don't think sitting or standing makes much of a difference in this case.
posted by Kalmya at 3:21 PM on March 5, 2015
posted by Kalmya at 3:21 PM on March 5, 2015
It would appear the metabolic differences between sitting and lying are pretty minimal (though somewhat in sitting's favor), so that's one point for "six of one, half dozen of the other." Or maybe 6.2 of one, half dozen of the other.
posted by obfuscation at 3:28 PM on March 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by obfuscation at 3:28 PM on March 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
If I spent many hours lying down, I wouldn't just worry about metabolic affects, I would worry about circulation effects. Too much lying down increases your risk of blood clot, which could lead to a pulmonary embolism, heart attack, or stroke. Also, I don't know if this would be the case given that you do sometimes get up, but people who are bedridden and don't sit up can get water in the lungs/pneumonia. I suspect that really is from always lying down, though.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:12 PM on March 5, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:12 PM on March 5, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Unfortunately, the negative effects of sitting don't have to do with stress on your spine, but with metabolic issues, as other posters have pointed out. Too much sitting was found to increase risk not only of heart attack and diabetes, but even of cancer!
For more information, you can read the succinctly titled CNN story: Sitting Will Kill You, Even If You Exercise. JustStand.org has more information about sitting versus standing - and you'll see that essentially, what applies to sitting would also apply to lying down.
Or the original Annals of Internal Medicine study for much more detail.
The study is a meta-analysis that pooled 47 other studies to come to the conclusion that: "Prolonged sedentary time was independently associated with deleterious health outcomes regardless of physical activity." Notice that the conclusion cites sedentary time as the measure rather than specifically time spent sitting. An editorial about the meta-analysis points out that sedentary behavior is likely important not just because of what being sedentary does to your body, but also whatever else you're not doing because you decided to use that time to be sedentary. It notes that if sedentary time is displaced by light, moderate, or vigorous physical activity, that results in certain physiologic improvements, such as in cholesterol and triglyceride levels. However, displacement of sedentary time with sleep also has beneficial effects. So I would conclude that lying down could be better than sitting - if when you're lying down, you're sleeping.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 5:19 PM on March 5, 2015 [4 favorites]
For more information, you can read the succinctly titled CNN story: Sitting Will Kill You, Even If You Exercise. JustStand.org has more information about sitting versus standing - and you'll see that essentially, what applies to sitting would also apply to lying down.
Or the original Annals of Internal Medicine study for much more detail.
The study is a meta-analysis that pooled 47 other studies to come to the conclusion that: "Prolonged sedentary time was independently associated with deleterious health outcomes regardless of physical activity." Notice that the conclusion cites sedentary time as the measure rather than specifically time spent sitting. An editorial about the meta-analysis points out that sedentary behavior is likely important not just because of what being sedentary does to your body, but also whatever else you're not doing because you decided to use that time to be sedentary. It notes that if sedentary time is displaced by light, moderate, or vigorous physical activity, that results in certain physiologic improvements, such as in cholesterol and triglyceride levels. However, displacement of sedentary time with sleep also has beneficial effects. So I would conclude that lying down could be better than sitting - if when you're lying down, you're sleeping.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 5:19 PM on March 5, 2015 [4 favorites]
Extended sitting can shorten the hip flexors, which can cause pain and postural issues. Lying down does not have this problem as your hips are in extension. This can be helpful if you have hip problems. Of course, a far better way to extend your hips and to prevent the health problems mentioned up thread is to stand.
posted by crazycanuck at 5:34 PM on March 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by crazycanuck at 5:34 PM on March 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by RoadScholar at 2:41 PM on March 5, 2015