# Lying or sitting?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-or-sitting/398876
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 5, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-or-sitting/398876 "2007-04-05T17:22:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@millions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/millions)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-or-sitting/398876/1 "2007-04-05T17:22:22Z")
Which is the better alternative if looking to your physical health - lying down or sitting up?
Cheers, Nick
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-or-sitting/398876/2 "2007-04-05T17:35:02Z")
Lying down. Sitting puts a lot of stress on your spine, and should be avoided whenever possible.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2007, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-or-sitting/398876/3 "2007-04-05T19:15:08Z")
On the other hand, completely slack muscles would be bad for your overall strength. Hmmm…(does weighing motion with hands)
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-or-sitting/398876/4 "2007-04-05T19:21:52Z")
If only I could pursuade my boss to buy me a bed for my office.
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-or-sitting/398876/5 "2007-04-05T19:36:21Z")
Lying down is my guess. I’d think the heart would have a much easier time pumping the blood around without having to fight gravity.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-or-sitting/398876/6 "2007-04-06T00:52:21Z")
A major health problem in America is that people do way too much of both.
Looking to your physical health, being outside walking, jogging, biking, or some other exercising would be better than either.
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### Author:  [@Barrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrington)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-or-sitting/398876/7 "2007-04-06T01:20:28Z")
Duke Ellington was once quoted as saying “never stand when you can sit down; never sit down when you can lie down”.
I follow his wise advice.