In brief: We've long been told that sitting at a desk all day is the new smoking, resulting in a higher risk of dangerous health conditions. It's why companies such as Google offer employees the option to use standing desks. However, according to a new study, standing all day may not be as good for us as we think, and could even increase the risk of conditions such as swollen veins and blood clots in the legs.
A study led by the University of Sydney involving over 80,000 UK adults disputes the claimed benefits of standing instead of sitting, including reducing the of risk stroke, heart failure, and other diseases.
The study found that standing for more than two hours per day could increase the risk of developing problems such as deep vein thrombosis and varicose veins.
Also Read: Secretlab Magnus Pro XL Review: A Feature-Packed Sit-to-Stand Desk
Researchers examined data from 83,013 adults who did not have heart disease at the start of the study and wore devices on their wrists to track movement.
The conclusion was that standing does not reduce the risk of heart conditions such as stroke, heart failure and coronary heart disease. It was also discovered that for every extra 30 minutes spent standing beyond two hours, the risk of circulatory disease increased by 11%.
The findings don't mean we should happily sit at our desks for more than 10 hours each day eating chips and drinking soda. Dr Matthew Ahmadi, of the University of Sydney's faculty of medicine and health, said those who sit for long periods should schedule regular movement throughout the day.
"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," Ahmadi said.
Prof. Emmanuel Stamatakis, the director of the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub at the University of Sydney, said a better way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease for people who sit for long periods is to include plenty of incidental movement throughout the day and structured exercise.
"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," Stamatakis said.
A good compromise could be a sit-to-stand desk. These aren't restricted to one position, allowing users to stand for periods between sitting. We looked at the Secretlab Magnus Pro XL earlier this year and found it to be an amazing desk, even if you only use it while sitting down.
The findings were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
