What Standing Too Much Might Mean for Your Heart Health

For the past few years, standing desks have been a popular choice. With the rise of remote work, you likely know someone who uses one—or even have one yourself. The appeal lies in avoiding prolonged sitting, which is often linked to health issues like poor heart health.

This notion, however, has been challenged by a new study¹ published in The International Journal of Epidemiology. Contrary to popular belief, this study suggests that standing desks may not reduce the risk of diseases such as stroke and heart failure.

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A Closer Look at the New Study The Bottom Line

A Closer Look at the New Study

Over 80,000 healthy adults in the UK participated in this study. Wearing wrist accelerometers for two years, researchers tracked their sitting and standing time. Following up over six years, the study revealed that sitting for over 10 hours a day increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. Surprisingly, standing more did not decrease the risk of heart-related conditions like heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. In fact, excessive standing could even raise the risk of conditions like varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis.

Standing more doesn’t reduce the risk of conditions like heart disease, stroke, and heart failure.

The study found that for every additional 30 minutes of standing beyond two hours, the risk of these health issues increased by 11 percent. It’s important to note that participants did not specifically use standing desks in this study.

While this study highlights a correlation between standing too much and poor heart health, it’s essential to understand that it doesn’t imply causation. Furthermore, the data is derived from the UK Biobank, a resource primarily comprised of individuals with no prior medical conditions, which may not represent the general population accurately.

The Bottom Line

Lead study author Matthew Ahmadi emphasizes that standing for extended periods does not compensate for a sedentary lifestyle and could pose circulatory health risks. Instead, incorporating regular movement breaks throughout your day is recommended.

Ahmadi suggests engaging in “exercise breaks” or “exercise snacks,” such as short bursts of activity like quick stretches, brief cardio sessions, or household chores. Studies have shown that even six minutes of vigorous exercise or 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Remember, moderation is key. While sitting for prolonged periods may not be ideal, excessive standing might not be the solution either. Stay active, move regularly, and prioritize your overall health.

Well+Good articles reference scientific, reliable, recent, robust studies to back up the information we share. You can trust us along your wellness journey.

Matthew N Ahmadi, Pieter Coenen, Leon Straker, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Device-measured stationary behaviour and cardiovascular and orthostatic circulatory disease incidence, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 53, Issue 6, December 2024, dyae136, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyae136
Anna Fry, Thomas J Littlejohns, Cathie Sudlow, Nicola Doherty, Ligia Adamska, Tim Sprosen, Rory Collins, Naomi E Allen, Comparison of Sociodemographic and Health-Related Characteristics of UK Biobank Participants With Those of the General Population, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 186, Issue 9, 1 November 2017, Pages 1026–1034, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwx246
Rezende LFM, Ahmadi M, Ferrari G, Del Pozo Cruz B, Lee IM, Ekelund U, Stamatakis E. Device-measured sedentary time and intensity-specific physical activity in relation to all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality: the UK Biobank cohort study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024 Jul 3;21(1):68. doi: 10.1186/s12966-024-01615-5. PMID: 38961452; PMCID: PMC11223286.