Back pain is becoming nothing short of an epidemic, mostly thanks to the rise of the sedentary lifestyle and endless hours of working while sitting on a chair. Standing desks were touted as a cure for many of the problems associated with continuously sitting on a chair. However, new research has shown that standing desks are not as healthy as they are at times made out to be.

For context, a new study from researchers in Australia and the Netherlands which was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology shows that standing for elevated periods is not much better than sitting, and worse comes with its own share of risks.

Study Shows Standing Desks May Not Be Healthy

The researchers collected accelerometer data from 83 013 adults from the UK Biobank to assess daily time spent between sitting and standing which they followed up for almost seven years. The research showed that sitting for more than 10 hours a day was associated with higher orthostatic circulatory disease as well as major CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk.

The research adds, “The deleterious associations of overall stationary time were primarily driven by sitting. 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.”

Simply put, the research says that standing desks might not lower the risk of CVD and could actually increase the risk of orthostatic circulatory disease.

“More time spent sitting didn’t necessarily lower a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease, nor did it increase the risk,” says University of Sydney population health scientist Matthew Ahmadi. He added, “It was a null finding. But what it did do was actually increase their risk of circulatory diseases.”

The study stands out as compared to other studies on the subject because of its massive sample size of over 80,000 people and the fact that the research was conducted for almost seven years. Other studies on this topic had a much smaller size and ran for a much shorter time.

Previously Studies on Desks

Meanwhile, previous studies on whether standing desks are good for health have been mixed. Several studies have shown that a sit-stand workstation (SSW) has a positive impact on chronic low back pain. A 2016 study at Texas A&M University found that people who stood up at work in a call center were 50% more productive.

The “Stand Up to Work: Assessing the Health Impacts of Adjustable Workstations” study showed that height-adjustable standing desks are linked to increased productivity, better concentration, and improved overall health. It is however worth noting that for that research, Dr. Elizabeth Garland, associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai partnered with Perkins+Will and Steelcase (which sell desks).

However, contrary to claims, research published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health said that standing desks had negligible impact on weight loss.

What’s the Problem with Standing Desks?

There are multiple issues associated with standing desks. For instance, continuous standing can lead to pain in leg muscles as well as general fatigue. Standing for long hours can be uncomfortable for some users, especially those who are aged, suffer from chronic pain, or have other physical disabilities. Also, standing can aggravate an over-arched lower back and also put pressure on the knee joints.

Standing long hours can also lead to a condition known as varicose veins. “When you keep standing without moving around to increase your heart rate, the blood is not moving from the legs into your heart due to gravity. That’s how you get varicose veins,” said Mukarram Siddiqui, MD, an electrophysiologist and chief of Cardiology at Detroit Medical Center Sinai Grace Hospital.

He added, “And when you are sitting down, your veins are crunched up, and the blood is not able to get back to the heart to keep recirculating.”

Some experts suggest using a sit-stand desk instead of a standing desk as one can then switch between sitting and standing while at work.

Nonetheless, standing desks have been getting quite popular as they help address some of the issues like neck and back pain. These however have their own share of cons which show up after long usage – just as with sitting desks.

How to Address the Physical Ailments Arising from Working At the Desk

Meanwhile, there is no easy fix to the health issues associated with constantly working from the desk. Here are some of the ways through which one can somewhat offset the health complications arising from working long hours at the desk.

  • Take frequent breaks: Experts caution against working long hours at stretch and advise taking short breaks every 30 minutes. This would not only keep the mind fresh but also lead to better muscle health. The breaks can also be utilized for some simple stretching exercises or simply moving around the office.
  • Small Exercises: one should aspire to make physical activity a part of the daily schedule. For instance, taking the stairs instead of the lift, taking a cycle or walking for short distances, and doing at least some household chores on your own instead of depending on others can help increase daily physical activity.
  • Focus on Ergonomics: Investing in an ergonomic desk can be one of the best investments. An ergonomically designed workspace can help lower the impact of sitting for long hours. Also, maintaining the correct posture would help as a bad posture will only aggravate the problem.
  • Engaging in physical activity like sports, dance, weight-lifting, cardio or other exercises is essential in maintaining a healthy body.

To sum it up, while a sit/stand workstation can be a good idea, experts don’t see it as an alternative to regular physical work. Merely using a standing desk to address the health problems that traditional legacy desks might not be the correct strategy and following healthy habits is a necessity to maintain good physical health.