If I can both sit and stand during an 8-hour day, what is the optimal balance of time sitting/standing?

Question

So I have two desks right next to each other (actually, one is a regular desk and one is a refrigerator, my "standing desk"). I work from home, usually about 8 hours a day.

Is there any research that indicates what the optimal ratio between sitting and standing is? Right now, I usually sit for two hours, stand for an hour, sit for two hours, stand for an hour, and then sit for two more hours. However, recently my legs hurt from standing and my butt hurts from sitting-- the worst of both worlds.

I'd appreciate any findings in this area.

Answer 1

A BMJ Open study suggests downtime should be kept below three hours per day, at least if your goal is to extend your lifetime. What it means for productivity is unclear, but generally speaking the consensus seems to be that standing up is much better than sitting, especially if you have a weight problem.