Spending an extra two hours per day standing rather sitting may lower blood sugar levels and lead to smaller waistlines, according to results of an Australian study which were reported by the National Library of Medicine.

Published in the European Heart Journal last Friday, the study’s results demonstrated a two percent drop in blood sugar levels and an eleven percent decrease in triglycerides in those participants who chose to stand rather than sit for two hours each day.

Even more dramatic were changes associated with substituting walking for sitting. Researchers documented an eleven percent drop in blood sugar levels, and a fourteen percent drop in triglycerides, in participants who replaced two hours of sitting with walking.

“Switching some of your sitting time to standing could have benefits for your heart and metabolism,” said senior research fellow Genevieve Healy.

Hundreds of Australians aged 36-80 participated in the study, known as the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study. Participants were instructed to wear activity monitors around the clock, which tracked how long each person spent sitting or lying down, standing, walking, and running. Researchers took blood samples as well as measurements for blood pressure, waist circumference, and BMI.

It is well-established in medical literature that leading a sedentary lifestyle increases one’s risk of developing diabetes or heart disease, or dying prematurely.

As such, this latest study provides one more reason to get up and get moving. “More time spent standing rather than sitting could improve your blood sugar, fats in the blood, and cholesterol levels, while replacing time spent sitting with time walking could have additional benefits for your waistline and body mass index.”