Standing at Work Linked to Worse Blood Pressure

For years, we’ve been informed that “sitting is the brand new smoking”—however new analysis exhibits that standing may take a toll on our well being, too.

A brand new research, printed final month in Drugs & Science in Sports activities & Train, discovered that standing at work for prolonged durations of time had a detrimental affect on members’ blood stress over the course of 24 hours. On the identical time, spending extra time seated at work was related to more healthy blood stress.

“We all know that bodily exercise is useful in sustaining wholesome blood stress ranges,” research co-author Jooa Norha, a doctoral researcher on the College of Turku, informed Well being. “Nevertheless, some earlier research counsel that being lively at work could actually be detrimental, whereas leisure-time actions are good for you.”

Right here’s what consultants needed to say concerning the new analysis, why it’s necessary to take breaks from each sitting and standing, and methods to raised shield your well being at work.

The brand new research, carried out by Norha and different researchers on the College of Turku in Finland, was based mostly on knowledge from 156 staff ranging in age from 60 to 64. Over 80% of the members have been girls, and 75% had “non-manual” jobs.

The researchers checked out members’ blood stress over the course of a 24-hour interval, particularly analyzing how these readings modified based mostly on whether or not individuals have been sedentary or lively at work, throughout leisure time, and on non-work days.

To do that, members have been requested to put on exercise trackers on their thighs to measure their exercise, which was grouped into considered one of 4 classes:

• Sedentary (together with mendacity and sitting)
• Standing
• Mild bodily exercise (together with sluggish strolling and transferring)
• Reasonable-to-vigorous bodily exercise (together with quick strolling, working, cycling, and stair climbing)

Additionally they wore transportable screens that measured their blood stress each half-hour for twenty-four hours.

“With this setup, we have been capable of see how exercise is linked to blood stress over the entire day and evening, as an alternative of only a single measurement,” mentioned Norha.

The info confirmed that variations in how a lot individuals moved at work, specifically, was related to both a greater or worse 24-hour blood stress studying.

Individuals who primarily remained seated at work had a decrease—and subsequently more healthy—24-hour diastolic blood stress. (Diastolic blood pressure is the second or backside quantity in a blood stress studying.) In the meantime, individuals who spent extra time on their toes at work, both standing or participating in gentle bodily exercise, had worse 24-hour diastolic blood stress readings.

Researchers didn’t discover any associations between blood stress and folks’s exercise ranges throughout their leisure time or on non-work days.

Although there have been various research trying into the connection between exercise ranges and cardiovascular well being, Norha mentioned this analysis stands out as a result of it makes use of a extra exact 24-hour blood stress measurement.

“The 24-hour measurement provides us higher perception into how the blood stress ranges change all through the day,” he mentioned. “If blood stress is barely excessive all through the day and it stays excessive at evening, the pressure on the center and blood vessels could trigger cardiovascular disease in the long run.”

Nevertheless, the research does have some limitations as effectively. As a result of the members have been older Finnish adults, it’s unclear if these findings would apply to different ages and demographics—particularly since, as a bunch, they have been extra lively and had much less hypertension than the overall inhabitants. Moreover, solely 1 / 4 of the members labored in guide jobs, which may have skewed the outcomes.

The explanation why standing for lengthy durations of time can have an effect on cardiovascular well being is kind of easy: It may possibly trigger blood to pool within the legs, mentioned Norha.

“To take care of ample blood move in the remainder of the physique, the blood vessels contract and the center begins pumping more durable which raises blood stress,” he defined.

The extra scientific time period for this phenomenon is venous stasis—this situation happens when the veins have hassle transferring blood again to the center, straining the cardiovascular system, Mustali Dohadwala, MD, a heart specialist in non-public observe at Heartsafe Boston, informed Well being.

Work-related standing will be particularly dangerous if staff aren’t capable of take breaks every time they really feel it mandatory, he added.

However the research’s findings aren’t essentially an excuse to decide on lounging over your regular train routine.

“I’d take conclusions with a grain of salt,” Basel Ramlawi, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgical procedure and co-director of the Lankenau Coronary heart Institute at Foremost Line Well being, informed Well being. “The medical literature comprises substantial proof supporting standing and lively jobs over sitting [or] sedentary habits.” 

For instance, analysis printed in 2019 concluded that spending much less time seated and extra time doing bodily actions may enhance blood stress. A 2020 systemic overview of present analysis discovered that changing sitting with standing may end up in very small however statistically important decreases in blood glucose levels and physique fats. Nevertheless, it had no important impact on lipid ranges, blood stress, weight, and waist circumference.

Extra analysis is required to find out whether or not being in your toes or sitting at a desk is best to your well being total. However consultants agree that incorporating each motion and sitting breaks into your workday are essential for everybody.

“The important thing for all staff—whether or not in workplace settings or bodily demanding jobs—is moderation, combining durations of standing, motion, and relaxation when wanted,” Ramlawi defined.

For sedentary works, Dohadwala mentioned they will they increase their well being by:

• Getting no less than 200 minutes of reasonably intense bodily exercise every week
• Attending or conducting conferences whereas strolling, if doable
• Taking common breaks to maneuver your legs
• Carrying leg compression socks to cut back the danger of blood pooling or vein points

And for these individuals who work on their toes, Norha confused that they need to restrict time spent standing if doable to take care of a wholesome blood stress.

“Taking strolling or sitting breaks from stationary standing might be helpful,” he defined.

Even for many who spend their day strolling round or in any other case have a extra lively job, they nonetheless must take part in reasonably intense bodily exercise on a constant foundation to take care of their well being, Dohadwala added. This may also help “mitigate irregular elevations in blood stress and the untoward downstream antagonistic results and problems of uncontrolled systemic hypertension,” he mentioned.

It’s additionally necessary to take all correct security precautions you probably have a bodily demanding job.

“For these in building or comparable fields requiring heavy lifting, correct again help and secure lifting strategies are important to forestall backbone and joint harm,” Ramlawi mentioned.