Sitting Too Much Hurts Your Brain: Researchers Find the Link Between Sedentary Behavior and Shrinking of the Temporal Lobe

How much time do you spend in your chair? If you answered "a lot," "half the day," or even "a few hours," you could be damaging your brain.

Yes, you read that right. As it turns out, not only is sitting bad for our bodies, it's also detrimental to our brains. And the worst part? Hitting the gym to make up for it isn't even enough to correct the ill effects.

A study released last week conducted by Dr. Prabha Siddarth at the University of California at Los Angeles found a link between sedentary behavior and reduced thickness of the medial temporal lobe. This is the area of the brain that contains the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is critical to learning and memory.

The researchers quizzed a group of 35 healthy people between the ages 45 to 70 about their activity levels and the average number of hours each day spent sitting and then scanned their brains with M.R.I. They found that the thickness of their medial temporal lobe was inversely correlated with how sedentary the subjects were; people who reported sitting for longer periods had the thinnest medial temporal lobes. The implication was there in black and white:

The more time you spend sitting, the worse it is for your brain health, possibly resulting in impairment in learning and memory.

What does this mean for the majority of us who work at desks? Well, if you're thinking you can exercise this problem away, you cannot. The only way out of this problem is sitting less, which is why it's so important to have a desk that supports your body in all of the right ways.

Humans are bipedal; we were made to move. By giving your body a height adjustable desk, you give it freedom to move, which improves circulation to the brain and the entire body. The next time you forget your computer password, stand up or take a walk and then try it again. The brain requires proper circulation to function and walking improves cognition, so give your body what it needs.

If you're like me, you spend most of your day working, facing the screens. Don't let the time you spend at work negatively affect your health, employ a desk that allows you the freedom to sit and stand when you want. We're always adding to our selection of standing desks, desk converters, ergonomic chairs, and desk accessories, let us help you build the workspace you need to keep your brain healthy and your body comfortable.