We’ve all heard from at least one person on the internet about how much better standing desks are for your health and how they can benefit those of us with more sedentary lifestyles.
Those desks, however, are often expensive. And frankly, how many of us really want to spend a chunk of our day standing?
Call me lazy, but you can count me out.
And recent research shows that you don’t have to feel guilty if you’ve also decided to skip out on this trend. Apparently, those standing desks don’t do a thing, and they even come with health risks of their own.
A study published in the official medical journal of the Epidemiological Association concluded that standing more compared with sitting doesn’t improve the risks of cardiovascular disease — i.e., coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure. (Note, though, that it wasn’t associated with an increased risk, either.)
But, standing more could increase the risk of circulatory issues such as varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis.
Matthew Ahmadi, the study’s lead author and postdoctoral research fellow at the Sydney School of Health Sciences, and Emmanuel Stamatakis, the director of the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub, have prior research that provides an actual answer for sedentary people looking to improve their health.
Of course, sitting for extended periods isn’t preferred over stagnant standing.
Just find the time to incorporate physical movement periodically throughout the day, instead.
Their research indicates that six minutes of vigorous exercise or 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise every day can help lower the risk of heart disease. This is true even for people who are sedentary for more than 11 hours a day.
Stamatakis said in a press 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.”
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