Sitting

Sitting is a basic action and resting position in which the body weight is supported primarily by the bony ischial tuberosities with the buttocks in contact with the ground or a horizontal surface such as a chair seat, instead of by the lower limbs as in standing, squatting or kneeling.

Various raised surfaces at the appropriate height can be used as seats for humans, whether they are made for the purpose, such as chairs, stools and benches, or not.

[qualify evidence] To sit in a kneeling chair, one rests one's buttocks on the upper sloping pad and rests the front of the lower legs atop the lower pad, i.e., the human position as both sitting and kneeling at the same time.

In 1700, De Morbis Artificum Diatriba listed sitting in odd postures as a cause of diseases in "chair-workers".

[14] A correlation between occupational sitting specifically and higher body mass index has been demonstrated, but causality has not yet been established.

[16] Public health programs typically focus on increasing physical activity rather than reducing sitting time.

[9] A 2018 Cochrane review found low-quality evidence that providing employees with a standing desk option may reduce the length of time some people sit at work in the first year.

[15] This reduction in sitting may decrease with time, and there is no evidence that standing desks are effective in the long term.

[15] In addition, a 2018 British Journal of Medicine systematic review concluded that interventions aimed at reducing sitting outside of work were only modestly effective.

[18] It is not clear how standing desks compare to other work-place interventions to reduce the length of time employees are sitting during the work day.

[27] Sedentary behaviour should be distinguished from being inactive – performing insufficient amounts of MVPA (moderate to vigorous physical activity).