Is standing the new sitting? Study raises risks of staying on your feet

Screen shot of the Refold's Portable Cardboard Standing Desk video presentation (Kickstarter Inc. 2014 / Refold)

Desk jobs have earned a bad reputation recently, after multiple researchers linked prolonged sitting with health problems. But a new study suggests that long periods of standing can also do damage.

The study suggests that standing can cause significant fatigue and even bone and muscle damage for workers who spend all day on their feet, such as assembly line staff or health care professionals.

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, an association that includes psychologists, scientists, designers, and engineers who specialize in ergonomics, released the report earlier this week.

Researchers looked at how standing for five hours affected 14 men and 12 women, divided in two different age groups: 18-30 year olds and 50-65 year olds.

The participants were asked to perform low-effort tasks, such as using a computer or playing games, to simulate working while standing. They were allowed to take five-minute breaks every hour and a 30-minute lunch break, and each participant was given a new pair of sports shoes to wear.

To measure fatigue, researchers hooked participants up to machines that used electrically induced muscle twitches to measure responses. Researchers also monitored the participants' posture and stability, and their levels of discomfort.

The results of the study suggest that prolonged standing has harmful effects for both genders and both age groups.

"(Participants felt) a significant fatigue effect after standing work that persisted beyond 30 minutes after the end of the workday," according to the study's authors, who also note that past studies have linked standing with lower back pain, knee arthrosis in women, as well as problems with ankles, feet, and lower-legs.

Over time, the study said, these effects can lead to significant health problems for people who are required to stand for more than 75 per cent of their work days.

"The progressive accumulation of muscle fatigue effects is assumed to lead to musculo-skeletal disorders," the report said.

The results, the authors say, suggest that work schedules may need to change to prevent the harmful effects of standing.

"Current work schedules for standing work may not be adequate for preventing fatigue accumulation," Maria Gabriela Garcia, one of the co-authors, said in a statement.

And, the authors say, reducing fatigue from standing isn’t only good for workers. Companies can benefit too.

According to the study, muscle fatigue is not only uncomfortable, it can also reduce productivity. So adjusting schedules could help increase workers' output.

"(The health problems) that can be caused by prolonged standing are a burden not only for workers," Garcia said, "But also for companies and society."