How to stay healthy if you have a standing job

What is the threat of standing work?

The phrase "standing for a long time" means more than eight hours a day. Office workers usually sit for so much time, and workers sometimes spend more time on their feet. If you regularly stand a lot, there is a risk of chronic venous insufficiency, varicose veins, pain in the lower back and feet, complications during childbirth.

Marina Berezko Ph. D., surgeon-phlebologist, lymphologist at the Center of Phlebology clinic, phlebology consultant at medi.

The first bells of varicose veins: a feeling of fatigue, heaviness, pain in the legs, slight swelling by the end of the day.

However, these symptoms develop if you stand still for eight hours. This is rarely required. If you are busy with manual labor or delivery, you are constantly on the move. In the office, you go to colleagues in other offices, pour tea, pick up printed documents from the printer, go to meetings. Even if you buy a desk to work while standing, you will not spend eight hours still.

Is there any benefit from it

According to scientists, standing we burn twice as many calories as sitting. When we are sitting, one calorie is burned per minute, when we are standing - two, when we are walking - four.

According to statistics, obese people spend an average of two and a quarter hours longer sitting every day than thin people. From this we can conclude that standing is healthier than sitting.

However, there is more stress on the spine and feet.

Everything in the body is interconnected. Spinal deformity, osteochondrosis cause pain in the legs. The feeling of heaviness from venous stasis is superimposed on unpleasant painful sensations from the spine, and heavy legs syndrome develops.

Marina Berezko

Therefore, it is best to combine standing and sitting work. And to get rid of back pain, try this set of exercises.

How to feel comfortable while standing

Place your weight on the balls of your feet and bend your knees slightly. This will help your hips and knees feel less fatigued. Over time, you will learn to shift your weight onto your legs. It is healthier for blood circulation. It will also strengthen the calves.

Try to alternate between standing and sitting work. We sit a lot: in transport, on the couch in the evening, while eating, in bed. Therefore, stand more often, but do not strive to spend all day on your feet.

To maintain the health of the veins, it is necessary to regularly change position, move, and do a light warm-up every 2-3 hours. Those who experience discomfort in their legs - a feeling of heaviness, bursting - are recommended to wear preventive compression hosiery.

Marina Berezko

How many hours a day do you need to stand

Try to stand up for at least two hours a day. And ideally up to four hours. Not everyone can set up a standing desk in their office. In this case, try to walk more.

Leave the car further from work to walk a few extra meters in the morning and evening.
Get up when you answer phone calls.
If there are toilets on different floors, go to the one farthest from you.

To protect yourself from health problems, it is enough to change just a few habits.