Is Your Standing Desk Ruining Your Posture and Health?

October 27, 2024

by Cathe Friedrich

Are you sitting too much? Studies show that sitting eight or more hours a day increases the risk of chronic health problems, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Surprisingly, studies show the risks of sitting are as great as being a moderate smoker. Plus, prolonged sitting increases the risk of mortality from all causes.

Because sitting poses health risks, people are replacing their trusty chair with a standing desk. These chairless desks that force you to stand have attracted a lot of interest, although they aren’t necessarily easy on the wallet. The fancier ones also come with a hefty price tag. Manufacturers market them to lower the risk of back pain and avoid the perils of sitting too much. But are there downsides to this type of workstation?

The Rise of Standing Desks and Are They All They’re Cracked Up to Be?

Standing desks are not a new concept. Here’s a fact you might not know. Famous people like Leonardo da Vinci, Ernest Hemingway, and Winston Churchill stood while they worked. But the popularity of standing desk stations didn’t take off until early in 2010 after studies revealed the health risks of sitting too long. Companies took notice and encouraged employees to switch their seats to a standing desk. But why?

Proponents of standing desks claim numerous health benefits, including:

A lower risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease due to less sitting
Improvements in posture and fewer orthopedic issues
Greater productivity
Greater alertness and better mood.
Less fatigue

But does science fully support these benefits? Let’s take a closer look and address some of the potential downsides.

Increased Lower Back Curvature

Increased curvature of the lower back is called hyperlordosis. It’s true when you sit at a desk with poor posture, especially if you lean forward too far, you tilt your pelvis in a way that increases the curve in your lower back. Plus, sitting too much weakens your core and gluteal muscles which help you keep healthy body alignment.

Yet, standing with poor posture can do the same thing! You might have a healthy posture when you stand at a desk for an hour or so, but as your body tires from standing, your alignment can suffer too. When fatigue sets in, your pelvis tilts forward and the curvature in your back becomes more pronounced. The risk of letting your pelvis tilt is you’ll compress your spinal discs and develop a nerve impingement.

Shoulder and Neck Strain

Do you have a history of neck or shoulder issues? If you work for extended periods in a standing position, your body tends to lean forward toward the desk or table we’re working on. You’re also more likely to shift your upper body weight and round your shoulders, placing more tension and strain on your shoulders. Your neck also experiences added strain and pressure. And there’s more. Since everything is connected, shoulder and neck strain can also trigger or worsen headaches.

Leg Fatigue and Varicose Veins

Standing for hours on end can cause blood to pool in your legs due to gravity. This also happens when you sit too long. The longer you sit or stand without flexing your calves, the greater your risk of developing blood clots in the calves called deep vein thrombosis. The added pressure of blood pooling in your calf veins places you at risk of varicose veins and spider veins. Dr. Peter Johnson, lead author of a 2024 study, notes: “Prolonged standing causes blood to pool in the legs, increasing pressure in the veins. Over time, this can lead to cardiovascular problems.

And your feet? If you have foot conditions, like plantar fasciitis, you might feel more like limping your way home from work after all that standing.

Cognitive Fatigue

There’s another downside to standing. If you do it for too long, it causes mental fatigue. According to a 2012 study of production workers, all participants experienced psychological or cognitive fatigue after standing for sustained periods. Plus, they had muscle fatigue as well. So, the claims that standing desks make you more productive may not be true.

Pregnancy Complications

If you’re pregnant, standing too long carries a unique set of risks. Women who stand for lengthy periods of time while carrying a child are at greater risk of delivering a low-birth weight or premature baby. One reason is standing for extended periods reduces blood flow to the placenta. Plus, pregnancy, due to hormonal changes, increases the risk of blood clots, meaning flexing your calves regularly is even more important.

The Importance of Movement

As experts point out, the best approach to staying healthy and keeping good body alignment is to change positions often. Any time you’re static for long periods of time, your muscles tighten. Your body was made to move. When you don’t move enough, you’re at higher risk of musculoskeletal issues and other health problems. According to research, the solution may be to alternate between sitting and standing while you’re working. And ensure you’re moving your legs and stretching regularly too.

Strike the Right Balance Between Standing and Sitting

Rather than stressing over whether to set up shop with a standing or sitting desk, create a dynamic work environment where you can sit, stand, or move around. Here are some evidence-based recommendations:

Switch between sitting and standing.
Take regular breaks. Try the 20-8-2 rule – 20 minutes of sitting, 8 minutes of standing, and 2 minutes of movement or stretching to combat the effects of prolonged sitting and standing.
Move more: At work, hold more walking meetings as opposed to sitting ones. When you must talk on the phone, stay mobile.
Maintain proper ergonomics: Make sure your workstation is properly set up to support healthy body alignment.
Strengthen your core: Focus on strengthening your core to improve your body alignment.
Wearing comfortable, supportive shoes when you stand. Skip the high heels!

Conclusion

Standing desks are not the cure-all solution for office-related health issues. In fact, if you use them too often and don’t watch your alignment when you’re using one, you can develop posture problems and circulatory issues. So, these higher-priced desks suffer some of the same drawbacks as sitting desks. Use them judiciously.

Most importantly, create an ergonomically friendly space that gives you room to get up frequently and stretch and move around. Varying your posture is important. You need to move and stretch regardless of whether you sit or stand. Your standing desk might not be the health savior you thought it was, but with a balanced approach to movement and posture, you can create a truly healthy work environment.

References:

“Hyperlordosis – Signs, Causes and Corrective Exercises.” 09 May. 2024, https://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/low-back-pain/hyperlordosis.
“Working during pregnancy: Do’s and don’ts – Mayo Clinic.” 07 Mar. 2024, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy/art-20047441.
“Advising women with a healthy, uncomplicated, singleton pregnancy on ….” https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Pregnancy_and_prolonged_standing.pdf.
Waters TR, Dick RB. Evidence of health risks associated with prolonged standing at work and intervention effectiveness. Rehabil Nurs. 2015 May-Jun;40(3):148-65. doi: 10.1002/rnj.166. Epub 2014 Jul 7. PMID: 25041875; PMCID: PMC4591921.
Jo H, Lim OB, Ahn YS, Chang SJ, Koh SB. Negative Impacts of Prolonged Standing at Work on Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Physical Fatigue: The Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey. Yonsei Med J. 2021 Jun;62(6):510-519. doi: 10.3349/ymj.2021.62.6.510. PMID: 34027638; PMCID: PMC8149936.
Ahmadi, Matthew N, Pieter Coenen, Leon Straker, and Emmanuel Stamatakis. “Device-Measured Stationary Behaviour and Cardiovascular and Orthostatic Circulatory Disease Incidence.” International Journal of Epidemiology 53, no. 6 (October 2, 2024). https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyae136.
Kowalsky RJ, Perdomo SJ, Taormina JM, et al. Effect of Using a Sit-Stand Desk on Ratings of Discomfort, Fatigue, and Sleepiness Across a Simulated Workday in Overweight and Obese Adults. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2018;15(10):788-794. doi:https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2017-0639
‌ Ekelund, Ulf, Jostein Steene-Johannessen, Wendy J Brown, Morten Wang Fagerland, Neville Owen, Kenneth E Powell, Adrian Bauman, and I-Min Lee. “Does Physical Activity Attenuate, or Even Eliminate, the Detrimental Association of Sitting Time with Mortality? A Harmonised Meta-Analysis of Data from More than 1 Million Men and Women.” The Lancet 388, no. 10051 (September 2016): 1302–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(16)30370-1.
“Sitting is the new smoking: ‘Truly a silent killer’.” 09 Feb. 2024, https://news.sanfordhealth.org/heart/sitting-is-the-new-smoking-truly-a-silent-killer/.
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