They’ve been billed as the ultimate antidote to sitting in front of a screen all day in the office. But research shows that standing desks, which have exploded in popularity in recent years, don’t compensate for inactivity and can even increase the risk of conditions like swollen veins and blood clots in the legs.
Research among more than 80,000 adults in Britain has also found that standing does not reduce the risk of diseases such as stroke and heart failure, despite widespread belief that it does.
The study, led by the University of Sydney, found that being on your feet for more than two hours a day can increase your risk of developing problems such as deep vein thrombosis and varicose veins. The findings have been published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
Dr. Matthew Ahmadi, from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health, says people who sit or stand for long periods of time should exercise regularly throughout the day.
“The key takeaway is that standing for too long will not compensate for an otherwise sedentary lifestyle and may be risky in terms of circulatory health for some people. We found that increased standing does not improve long-term cardiovascular health and increases the risk of circulatory problems,” Ahmadi said.
To determine whether standing provided any health benefits, the researchers studied data from 83,013 adults who are part of the UK Biobank health data database.
These people had no heart disease at the start of the study and wore devices on their wrists to track movement. The team found that for every additional 30 minutes spent over two hours, the risk of circulatory disorders increased by 11%.
Standing did not appear to reduce the risk of heart diseases such as stroke, heart failure and coronary heart disease, the researchers said.
Prof. Emmanuel Stamatakis, director of the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub at the University of Sydney, said: “For people who regularly sit for long periods of time, including plenty of incidental exercise throughout the day, structured exercise may be a better way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. reduce.
“Take regular breaks, walk around, go to walking meetings, use the stairs, take regular breaks if you’re driving long distances, or use that lunch break to get away from your desk and get some exercise.”
Emily McGrath, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation who was not involved in the study, said the findings highlight the importance of being active during the working day.
“The more people can avoid standing still, the better,” she said. “In the long term, the study showed that time spent standing was not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but it did have other implications for circulatory health for some. It is important to become active to reduce this risk.”