Thought standing and working was healthy? No, say experts. Heart problems risk can increase by 2x because of it

Doing your work while standing up is often seen as a healthier option than just sitting down for long hours But research shows that standing and doing your work could come with its own set of health risks. It stated that people in jobs that have to mostly stand face roughly twice the risk of developing heart disease in comparison to those who mostly sit.

The finding were published in a 2017 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology and it tracked 7,320 employed people in Ontario, Canada, over the period of 12 years.

What did the study find?

The study was titled The Relationship Between Occupational Standing and Sitting and Incident Heart Disease Over a 12-Year Period in Ontario, Canada. It had examined people who were employed for at least 15 hours a week and did not have heart disease when the research had started.


The researchers followed these participants from 2003 to 2015, comparing the occurrence of heart disease across occupations that mostly involved sitting, standing, a combination of sitting, standing and walking, or other body positions.

The findings showed that people whose jobs mainly required standing had approximately twice the risk of developing heart disease compared with those who primarily sat at work.

Researchers had accounted for several factors that could influence heart health which included age, education, existing health conditions, physical demands of the job, shift schedules, smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption and body mass index.

In an article published by the University of Toronto, lead researcher Peter Smith explained that the findings add to evidence that prolonged standing deserves more attention as a workplace health concern.

Why standing may affect heart health

When people stand on their feet for hours without much movement, it can affect their bodies in ways that are different from walking or other forms of physical activity.

The University of Toronto article stated that standing for long periods can cause blood to accumulate in the legs and increase pressure inside the veins. It can also increase oxidative stress which may contribute to cardiovascular health problems.

Workers who continue to be in one position for long periods may also experience stiff joints, sore feet, swollen ankles and musculoskeletal problems.

The concern is for occupations in which employees are expected to remain standing throughout their shifts, including sales and service jobs, cooking, food and beverage service, and bank teller roles.

Sitting is not the healthier choice

The findings do not mean that sitting for long periods is good for health. Long term sedentary behaviour comes with its own risks, and the study was not done to establish that sitting is a better overall lifestyle choice.

Instead, the research shows the difference between remaining stationary while standing and engaging in movement throughout the day.

Dr Turner Osler, an emeritus professor at the University of Vermont, told UNILAD that people may assume standing is automatically healthier because prolonged sitting is associated with health risks. However, he pointed to the study's findings as evidence that standing is not necessarily a safe alternative.

The researchers also found that the relationship between heart disease risk and jobs involving a combination of sitting, standing and walking differed between men and women. Such occupations were associated with lower cardiovascular risk estimates among men but higher estimates among women.