Standing at Work Linked to Worse Blood Pressure

For years, we’ve been told that “sitting is the new smoking”—but new research shows that standing could take a toll on our health, too.

A new study, published last month in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that standing at work for extended periods of time had a negative impact on participants’ blood pressure over the course of 24 hours. At the same time, spending more time seated at work was associated with healthier blood pressure.

“We know that physical activity is helpful in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels,” study co-author Jooa Norha, a doctoral researcher at the University of Turku, told Health. “However, some previous studies suggest that being active at work may in fact be detrimental, whereas leisure-time activities are good for you.”

Here’s what experts had to say about the new research, why it’s important to take breaks from both sitting and standing, and ways to better protect your health at work.

The new study, conducted by Norha and other researchers at the University of Turku in Finland, was based on data from 156 workers ranging in age from 60 to 64. Over 80% of the participants were women, and 75% had “non-manual” jobs.

The researchers looked at participants’ blood pressure over the course of a 24-hour period, specifically analyzing how these readings changed based on whether people were sedentary or active at work, during leisure time, and on non-work days.

To do this, participants were asked to wear activity trackers on their thighs to measure their activity, which was grouped into one of four categories:

• Sedentary (including lying and sitting)
• Standing
• Light physical activity (including slow walking and moving)
• Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (including fast walking, running, cycling, and stair climbing)

They also wore portable monitors that measured their blood pressure every 30 minutes for 24 hours.

“With this setup, we were able to see how activity is connected to blood pressure over the whole day and night, instead of just a single measurement,” said Norha.

The data showed that differences in how much people moved at work, in particular, was associated with either a better or worse 24-hour blood pressure reading.

People who primarily remained seated at work had a lower—and therefore healthier—24-hour diastolic blood pressure. (Diastolic blood pressure is the second or bottom number in a blood pressure reading.) Meanwhile, people who spent more time on their feet at work, either standing or engaging in light physical activity, had worse 24-hour diastolic blood pressure readings.

Researchers didn’t find any associations between blood pressure and people’s activity levels during their leisure time or on non-work days.

Though there have been a number of studies looking into the connection between activity levels and cardiovascular health, Norha said this research stands out because it uses a more precise 24-hour blood pressure measurement.

“The 24-hour measurement gives us better insight into how the blood pressure levels change throughout the day,” he said. “If blood pressure is slightly high throughout the day and it remains high at night, the strain on the heart and blood vessels may cause cardiovascular disease in the long term.”

However, the study does have some limitations as well. Because the participants were older Finnish adults, it’s unclear if these findings would apply to other ages and demographics—especially since, as a group, they were more active and had less hypertension than the general population. Additionally, only a quarter of the participants worked in manual jobs, which could have skewed the results.

The reason why standing for long periods of time can affect cardiovascular health is quite simple: It can cause blood to pool in the legs, said Norha.

“To maintain adequate blood flow in the rest of the body, the blood vessels contract and the heart starts pumping harder which raises blood pressure,” he explained.

The more scientific term for this phenomenon is venous stasis—this condition occurs when the veins have trouble moving blood back to the heart, straining the cardiovascular system, Mustali Dohadwala, MD, a cardiologist in private practice at Heartsafe Boston, told Health.

Work-related standing can be especially harmful if workers aren’t able to take breaks whenever they feel it necessary, he added.

But the study’s findings aren’t necessarily an excuse to choose lounging over your normal exercise routine.

“I would take conclusions with a grain of salt,” Basel Ramlawi, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgery and co-director of the Lankenau Heart Institute at Main Line Health, told Health. “The medical literature contains substantial evidence supporting standing and active jobs over sitting [or] sedentary behavior.” 

For example, research published in 2019 concluded that spending less time seated and more time doing physical activities could improve blood pressure. A 2020 systemic review of existing research found that replacing sitting with standing can result in very small but statistically significant decreases in blood glucose levels and body fat. However, it had no significant effect on lipid levels, blood pressure, weight, and waist circumference.

More research is needed to determine whether being on your feet or sitting at a desk is better for your health overall. But experts agree that incorporating both movement and sitting breaks into your workday are crucial for everyone.

“The key for all workers—whether in office settings or physically demanding jobs—is moderation, combining periods of standing, movement, and rest when needed,” Ramlawi explained.

For sedentary works, Dohadwala said they can they boost their health by:

• Getting at least 200 minutes of moderately intense physical activity each week
• Attending or conducting meetings while walking, if possible
• Taking regular breaks to move your legs
• Wearing leg compression socks to reduce the risk of blood pooling or vein issues

And for those people who work on their feet, Norha stressed that they should limit time spent standing if possible to maintain a healthy blood pressure.

“Taking walking or sitting breaks from stationary standing could be beneficial,” he explained.

Even for those who spend their day walking around or otherwise have a more active job, they still need to participate in moderately intense physical activity on a consistent basis to maintain their health, Dohadwala added. This can help “mitigate abnormal elevations in blood pressure and the untoward downstream adverse effects and complications of uncontrolled systemic hypertension,” he said.

It’s also important to take all proper safety precautions if you have a physically demanding job.

“For those in construction or similar fields requiring heavy lifting, proper back support and safe lifting techniques are essential to prevent spine and joint damage,” Ramlawi said.