With growing awareness of health risks from prolonged sitting, standing desks have become popular alternatives, but are standing desks truly healthy? A new study highlights that the products are not a cure-all for a sedentary lifestyle. Spoiler alert: standing all day is not good for you either! Our experts share how to achieve a healthy balance.
What a new study found about standing desks
A recent study from Australia, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, explores if standing desks are healthy, revealing both benefits and risks. The research suggests that standing for long periods may not improve cardiovascular health as some researchers previously believed. What’s more, the habit might even up the risk of blood pressure and circulatory conditions.
There were over 83,000 participants in the study, with an average age of around 61 years old, and more than half were female. They wore tracking devices to log the amount of time they spent sitting and standing over two years.
Time spent staying still, including both standing and sitting were all associated with an increased risk of orthostatic circulatory disease, researchers found. This included orthostatic hypotension (a drop in blood pressure), varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency where leg veins struggle to pump blood back to the heart and venous ulcers, which are open sores that develop on the legs from inadequate vein circulation.
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While prolonged sitting was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke, more time spent standing was not. However, standing on its own did not show any protection against heart health risks either.
“Collectively, our findings are supportive of clinical and public health strategies to curtail excessive sitting time as an important risk factor for major CVD,” study authors reported. “However, standing time alone may not be a sufficient mitigation strategy for lower CVD risk, and may lead to a higher risk of circulatory conditions.”
Is the standing desk healthy? Cardiologist weighs in
We hear often that we should spend a good part of each day standing (looking at you, Apple Watch stand goal), but experts caution against overdoing it and, even more importantly, standing still without movement.
“Prolonged periods of standing lead to venous stasis in the legs and pooling of blood in the peripheral venous tree, which can result in leg swelling/edema, increased propensity towards inflammation and blood clot formation within the tree as well as leg ulcer formation,” explains Mustali Dohadwala MD, Cardiologist and Founder at Heartsafe.
Movement of the legs allows for activating muscles around the leg veins, which improves peripheral venous blood flow and lymphatic fluid circulation, he explains. This lowers the risk of the development of leg swelling, blood vessel inflammation, blood clots and leg ulcers.
How to balance time sitting and standing
If you’re asking, “How often should I stand with a standing desk?” experts say alternating between sitting, standing, and moving is key for health. Researchers noted that combining 10 hours of sitting with 2 hours of standing increased health risks, underscoring the importance of regular movement.
To combat excessive sitting or standing still, Dr. Dohadwala recommends a regularly active lifestyle including at least 200 minutes of moderately intense physical activity every week.
Results from a 2018 study suggested that alternating between sitting and standing combined with brief walks had more health benefits than standing alone.
“If a person’s occupation requires prolonged periods of standing, take regular breaks allowing for movement of legs and utilize leg compression socks or stockings, which can help in reducing the risk of peripheral venous complications,” advises.
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
