We see news stories about how bad sitting is every single day. It can be alarming. Unsurprisingly, standing desks — tables that hold computers at a height where a person can easily read and type while standing — became popular. In fact, the global market for standing desks is expected to reach $12.6 billion by 2023.

“Sitting is the new smoking” became a catchphrase over the last decade as being sedentary was linked to blood sugar concerns, heart problems and obesity. However, a new study found that standing for long times doesn’t lower the risk of heart disease or stroke. Both sitting and standing were linked to a risk of varicose veins and blood pressure concerns. The study used 83,000 people and tracked them for several years. The average age of the study’s participants was 61.  

Standing still can lead to blood pooling. That, in turn, can cause varicose veins. While standing would seem like a good alternative to sitting, without movement, it was linked to a higher risk of circulatory problems.  

Adding movement into the day through stretching or walking may be healthier. There are sit-stand desks that can change positions so people can work how they like throughout the day. That may be healthier.

Many of our customers are older and might not care about the best type of desk. But many people, regardless of age, try to combat the damage done by sitting with periods of standing. This study found that sitting more than 10 hours a day may increase the risk of heart disease and orthostatic circulatory disease. But, it also found that standing doesn’t mitigate the problem if it isn’t paired with movement.

“This finding wasn’t necessarily surprising because in order to improve cardiovascular health typically requires engaging in physical activity, which is why it is important to mix in physical activity alongside standing,” said Dr. Matthew Ahmadi of the Univ. of Sydney. He was the lead author of the study.

He explained, “Similar to sitting, standing for long periods can cause blood to pool in the legs. When you’re standing still, your muscles aren’t actively helping to pump blood back up from your legs to your heart. This can lead to issues like varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis. That’s why it’s important to mix in walking and other forms of movement.”

The study didn’t find that standing increased the risk of heart disease, unlike sitting. But it did increase the risk of other heart problems. It underscored the importance of getting more movement and variation into your day. Staying in any position for long periods is unhealthy, so get up and add some movement to your day.    

Banner image: TheStandingDesk via Unsplash