For those who work from home, or spend their days behind a desk, standing desks have become popular as a way to work in less sedentary time during the day.
However, a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Sydney found that the health benefits of standing desks may not be exactly what consumers had in mind. Their work showed that without regular exercise, standing for long periods of time can lead to circulation issues and doesn’t improve heart 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 in a news release.
What are the health risks?
For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 83,000 adults enrolled in the U.K. Biobank. When the study began, none of the participants had any incidence of heart disease. Over the course of the study, the participants wore smart watches that tracked their health, and the researchers monitored their health outcomes.
The study showed that prolonged periods of sitting can have detrimental effects on consumers’ heart health.
The researchers found that those who sat for 12 hours or more per day were at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and orthostatic circulatory disease. Once participants reached 10 hours of sedentary time, the risk of these conditions increased with each additional hour of sitting.
The researchers also learned that standing wasn’t associated with better health outcomes. There was no noted improvement in participants’ heart disease risk when they stood for at least two hours per day, and they actually had a higher risk of circulation-related issues when they were standing for long periods of time.
Consistent movement is key
Based on these findings, the researchers hope that consumers find some variety throughout their day. Consistent movement is the key to the best health outcomes.
“For people who sit for long periods on a regular basis, including plenty of incidental movement throughout the day and structured exercise may be a better way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” researcher Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis said in a news release.
“Take regular breaks, walk around, go for a walking meeting, use the stairs, take regular breaks when driving long distances, or use that lunch hour to get away from the desk and do some movement.”