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Standing for extended periods is as equally dangerous for your health as sitting for too long
A sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest culprits of issues related to the heart, but standing for extended periods does no good either.
People think they can prevent major health problems by standing all day. However, a study warns it only increases the risk of other issues while not affecting the heart.
Standing up for long doesn’t improve your heart
Several exercises and activities are great for your heart, but standing for too long isn’t one of them.
As opposed to the popular belief that standing for long has multiple health benefits, a study by the University of Sydney research shows that “standing�more�compared with sitting does not improve cardiovascular health.”
Not affecting your heart positively is one thing, but the same could increase the risk of circulatory issues, such as varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis.
Hold on, if you think, you might as well spend all your time sitting in one place if standing doesn’t help. Researchers found that sitting for over 10 hours a day increased both cardiovascular disease and orthostatic incidence risk.
It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting or standing, being stationary is detrimental to your health. Lead author of the study, Dr. Matthew Ahmadi, warns:
“The key takeaway is that�standing�for too long will not offset an otherwise sedentary lifestyle and could be risky for some people in terms of circulatory health. We found that�standing�more�does not improve cardiovascular health over the long term and increases the risk of circulatory issues.”
Activities beneficial for cardiovascular health
Exercising regularly and sticking to a healthy diet are key to preventing the risk of cardiovascular disease. in fact, walking as little as 11 minutes daily could reduce the risk of early death from heart attacks.
The American Heart Association recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity�aerobic activity per week, 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both.
Brisk walking, which includes at least 2.5 miles per hour, water aerobics, dancing, gardening, and tennis are a few moderate-intensity aerobic activities.
Whereas, vigorous-intensity aerobic activities include hiking uphill, running, jumping rope, swimming laps, vigorous aerobic dancing, etc.
The above-recommended activities have added benefits, such as better sleep, lower risk of diabetes, improved cognition, lesser risk of obesity, and improved mental health to name a few.
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