Standing too much at work can double your risk of heart disease

A lot of attention has been given to sitting for too long and its effect on the heart.

Well new information says prolonged standing too can have an adverse effect on your heart.

Research has shown that prolonged standing might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is due to blood pooling in your legs, increase pressure on the veins and and higher oxidative stress.

7,000 workers in Ontario were studied over 12 years and grouped into four sections based on their physical positions at work ie workers who mostly sit, workers who mostly stand, workers who use a mix of sitting, standing and walking, and workers who use other types of body positions, such as crouching or kneeling.

People who primarily stand on the job are twice as likely to develop heart disease as people who primarily sit. This was the case even after taking into account a wide range of factors, including personal factors (including age, gender, education levels, ethnicity, immigrant status and marital status), health (e.g. diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, mood and anxiety disorders) and the type of work being performed (e.g. physical demands, shift schedule).

An elevated risk for those who stand at their jobs (compared to sitting) was still present after taking into account smoking, leisure time, physical activity, alcohol consumption and body mass index.

So in essence get a chair and sit while doing your job to reduce prolonged standing if you can. It will save your life.

With information from The Conversation. is published hereThe study .