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Sitting is frowned upon and is considered the new smoking. But standing still also carries risks.

We all know that we spend far too much time sitting these days. More than 18.6 percent of the Swiss population sits for more than 8.5 hours a day, while some even spend up to 15 hours a day sitting or resting. It is obvious that this is not good in the long run. This leads to increased risk of muscular atrophy, obesity and metabolic diseases and even a potential decrease in bone density.

The solution is pretty obvious: you should try to avoid sitting continuously for long periods of time and work at a standing desk, for example.

However, Australian scientists have now discovered that standing in the same spot for long periods of time doesn’t offset the negative impacts of sitting. If you don’t walk a few steps or bounce on your toes while standing, you neglect the muscle pump in your calves, which transports the venous blood to the heart when you move.

What can we learn from this?

• Simply standing is not the solution. Movement is also required. Those who rarely leave their standing workplace should at least stand on a soft surface so that the muscles are required to work a little bit.
• Exclusively standing is as good or bad as exclusively sitting. Once again, it is a matter of duration and ensuring meaningful variety.
• Remaining in the same position for long periods of time leads to muscular problems. If possible, try to repeatedly change the sitting or standing position and perform regular balancing movements.
• If you do have to sit or stand for a long time, a strong torso prevents you from relying too heavily on your passive structures.