It’s frustrating to hear about research that suggests sitting is terrible for your health when you have to sit all day for work. But studies have linked sitting for long periods of time to everything from mental health issues to a shorter lifespan, making the connection hard to ignore. Now, new research suggests you’re not totally screwed on the health front if you have a desk job.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, calls out different types of sitting—active and passive—and points out that one in particular may actually help to lower your risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
While it’s still a stretch to say that sitting all day is good for you, the findings are something to consider if you’re worried that your day job is ruining your health. Here’s what the study found, plus how neurologists say you can put the findings to good use to support your brain health going forward.
Researchers discovered that all forms of sitting are not equal.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 85 studies featuring 1,575,657 people that looked at participants’ health and sitting habits. The researchers then drilled down to see what people were doing while they sat, breaking this up into “active” and “passive” sitting.
Active sitting meant doing things that engaged the mind like puzzles, playing card games, reading, or using a computer, while passive sitting included things like watching TV. Ultimately, the researchers discovered that the cognitive impact of sitting depended on the type of sitting people did.
People who did a lot of active sitting had better cognitive health and cognitive functions like executive function and various types of memory, suggesting that active sitting may support healthy cognitive aging. But people who did a lot of passive sitting had an increased risk of developing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
“The key message is that not all sitting is the same,” Davide Cappon, PhD, director of neuropsychology at Tufts Medical Center, tells SELF.
Why active sitting can help your brain health.
Your brain thrives on activity and communication, Kinga Szigeti, MD, PhD, professor of neurology and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center at University at Buffalo, tells SELF. “Brain cells are healthier when they do more,” she says. The major difference between active and passive sitting is how much your brain is working in those situations, she explains.