Breaking of Sitting Time Prevents Lower Leg Swelling—Comparison among Sit, Stand and Intermittent (Sit‐To‐Stand Transitions) Conditions

Abstract

Background: Sitting or standing during prolonged periods is related to leg swelling. It is unknown if interrupting sedentary behavior can attenuate lower leg swelling. We aimed to examine if adding sit‐to‐stand transitions prevents lower leg swelling as compared with uninterrupted motionless standing and sitting, using localized bioelectrical impedance raw parameters. Methods: Twenty adults participated in this crossover randomized controlled trial and acted out three conditions: (1) uninterrupted, motionless standing; (2) uninterrupted motionless sitting; (3) sit‐tostand transitions (1 min sitting followed by 1 min standing). Localized resistance (R), reactance (Xc), impedance (Z) and phase angle (PhA) were assessed at baseline, at 10 min and at 20 min for each condition. Results: For sitting and standing conditions, R and Xc values decreased after 10 and 20 min. Uninterrupted sitting resulted in the highest decrease in R (∆Sit − ∆Stand = −9.5 Ω (4.0), p = 0.019; ∆Sit − ∆Int = −11.6 Ω (4.0), p = 0.005). For standardized R (R/knee height), sitting was the condition with a greater decrease (∆Sit − ∆Stand = −30.5 Ω/m (13.4), p = 0.025; ∆Sit − ∆Int = −35.0 Ω/m (13.5), p = 0.011). Conclusions: Interrupting sedentary behavior by changing from sit to stand position during short periods may be effective at preventing leg swelling.