Representative image of a person staning and working
Standing while working has become increasingly popular among those seeking to counteract the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle, often resulting from sitting for hours in front of computers.
Standing desks, in particular, have gained widespread use among office workers, with many utility companies promoting them as a solution to health-related issues.
In today’s work environment, which heavily relies on screen time, people are often encouraged to use standing desks to ensure their well-being, as prolonged sitting is linked to various health risks, including cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
However, recent studies indicate that while standing desks have grown in popularity, they might not effectively counteract the risks of physical inactivity. In fact, they could lead to issues like swollen veins and blood clots in the legs, raising concerns about their overall benefits.
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Standing more has health risks
Despite the growing popularity of standing desks in offices and other efforts to reduce sitting time, research reveals that standing more does not necessarily improve cardiovascular health and may even increase the risk of certain circulatory diseases.
The study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, found that long-term, standing more compared with sitting does not improve cardiovascular health (coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure). It could increase the risk of circulatory issues related to standing, such as varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis.
“This study looked at the association between stationary time (sitting and standing) and the incidence of orthostatic circulatory diseases (such as orthostatic hypotension, varicose vein, venous ulcer, and chronic venous insufficiency) and cardiovascular diseases (such as coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke),” Hyderabad based Neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar told South First.
Two significant findings from the study
- Prolonged sitting was associated with an increased risk of both orthostatic circulatory diseases and CVD.
- Prolonged standing, on the other hand, was only associated with an increased risk of orthostatic circulatory diseases.
“Standing had no effect on CVD risk (it was not associated with either an increase or a decrease in CVD risk),” Dr Kumar said.
He also pointed out that there are two main inferences from this study:
- Prolonged sitting is the most undesirable, as it can increase the risk of orthostatic circulatory diseases, as well as CVD.
- Prolonged standing (without walking or running) is also not completely healthy either.
“This is because prolonged standing does not lower CVD risk. Main take away from this study: In order to lower the CVD risk, part of the stationary time (sitting or standing) should be replaced with movement (walking or running). Replacing sitting with standing alone (without any movement) does not seem adequate in lowering CVD risk. Moreover, it could increase the risk of orthostatic circulatory diseases,” he explained.
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How to improve cardiovascular health?
The study author said that there were other ways for those with a sedentary lifestyle to improve their cardiovascular health.
“The key takeaway is that standing for too long will not offset an otherwise sedentary lifestyle and could be risky for some people in terms of circulatory health. We found that standing more does not improve cardiovascular health over the long term and increases the risk of circulatory issues,” Dr Matthew Ahmadi said.
While the researchers found that there were no health benefits gained from standing more, they cautioned against sitting for extended periods. Instead, they recommend that people who are regularly sedentary or find themselves standing for long periods schedule regular movement throughout the day.
What research says about Sitting vs Standing?
While sitting for extended periods—over 10 hours a day—was linked to an increased risk of both cardiovascular disease and circulatory problems, the researchers emphasised that simply replacing sitting with standing is not enough to protect heart health.
Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Director of the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub, stressed in a statement the importance of incorporating regular physical activity throughout the day rather than just relying on standing.
“For those who sit for long periods, the best approach is to include plenty of movement throughout the day. This could be walking, taking regular breaks, or engaging in more structured exercise,” Professor Stamatakis said.
“Standing by itself does not lower the risk of cardiovascular disease; it needs to be combined with other forms of physical activity that get the body moving.”
The study’s findings suggest a shift in focus from simply standing more to adopting a more active lifestyle overall.
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Recommendations for people who sit for long hours
- Incorporate movement: Take regular breaks to move around, even if it’s just a quick walk or using the stairs.
- Walking meetings: If possible, turn meetings into walking sessions to reduce sedentary time.
- Use breaks wisely: During lunch breaks, take time to walk outside or engage in light physical activity instead of remaining seated.
- Structured exercise: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily, which could significantly lower heart disease risk, even for those who are sedentary for most of the day.
The bigger picture: Exercise matters
Standing desks and similar interventions have been widely adopted in response to the negative effects of prolonged sitting. However, the research suggests that focusing on a combination of movement and exercise is a more effective strategy for reducing health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Professor Stamatakis and Dr Ahmadi’s research, published earlier this year found that about 6 minutes of vigorous exercise or 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day could help lower the risk of heart disease even in people who were sedentary for more than 11 hours a day.
The study was conducted using first occurance of a cardiovascular condition and circulatory disease data taken over a period of seven to eight years from 83,013 UK adults. The data was taken from ones who were free of heart disease at baseline, measured using research-grade wrist-worn wearables similar to a smartwatch.
The data used in the study was not explicitly collected on standing desk usage; instead, it measured the cardiovascular and circulatory impacts of increased standing. Standing desk use in this study likely contributes a very small fraction of total standing.
(Edited by Neena)
