That Standing Desk Isn't Saving You From Your Sedentary Life

They say sitting is the new smoking. But trying to head off health problems tied to prolonged sitting by standing instead isn't a great solution. In findings sure to surprise those reading this from a standing desk, researchers determined standing more compared with sitting does not reduce one's risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, or heart failure over the long term. Furthermore, it may increase the risk of circulatory issues, including varicose veins and blood clots in the legs, per the Guardian. "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," says study author Dr. Matthew Ahmadi, a research fellow at the University of Sydney.

The study employed seven to eight years of data on 83,013 adults without heart disease who wore devices to track movement. Time spent sitting above 10 hours a day was associated with a higher risk of circulatory disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Standing time was not associated with risk of CVD. However, after two hours of standing, every additional 30 minutes raised one's risk of circulatory disease by 11%, according to the study published Wednesday in the International Journal of Epidemiology. In comparison, after 10 hours of sitting, every additional hour of sitting came with a 26% higher risk of circulatory disease.

"Collectively, our findings indicate increasing standing time as a prescription may not lower major CVD risk and may lead to higher orthostatic circulatory disease risk," according to the study. "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," says co-author Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor of physical activity at University of Sydney. His and Adhmadi's prior research showed highly sedentary people can lower their risk of heart disease with six minutes of vigorous exercise or 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day. (More sedentary behavior stories.)