Yes. According to medical experts, standing for 8 hours is destructive particularly since it induces your heart rate and blood pressure to climb, along with standing-related exhaustion. It is critical that you always remember to alter your body position whilst still standing by trying to stretch both your shoulders and back muscles on a regular basis.
There are several repercussions that result once standing is an everyday part of life. Having to stand for an extended period of time will lead to burnout, which will contribute to a loss of coordination or, reduced productivity. Furthermore, continuous standing has already been tied to high blood pressure as well as back pain. If you have to stand all day at work, regular breaks from standing are essential.
It is also significant to mention that standing for a long time is almost as destructive as extended sitting. According to multiple research, sitting for long periods especially at work is twice as dangerous. Numerous research has been conducted on the negative impacts of continued sitting at work.
This is because prolonged sitting has been linked to a variety of health problems, which would include cardiovascular disorders, obesity, chronic diseases, as well as several cancers.
If you stay at your workstation on a regular basis, you need to take precautions to prevent pain and distress. Consider purchasing a chair with decent back support. This should help you to avert pain and swelling from having to sit for long periods of time.
Furthermore, consider using an adjustable seat cushion. This will help in the synchronization of your spinal column and the prevention of pain.
Lastly, take regular rest periods to flex your limbs and walk around. Aside from that, consider getting your seat as high as possible whilst also keeping both feet firmly on the ground. This should help prevent your limbs from dozing off. Once again, try and relax whilst seated.
Risks of Standing for 8 Hours
Having to stand for an extended period of time can be hazardous to your well-being as well as other aspects of your life. The following are among the most potential dangers:
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Heart disease risk is elevated
Continuous standing is just as bad for your heart as extended sitting. Once you stand for an extended period of time, your blood appears to consolidate in your legs, preventing it from appropriately circulating throughout your body. Here, the blood vessels must work much harder to divvy up blood uniformly to the areas of the body that require it.
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Compression of the joints
Once you stand for an extended period of time, your joints (particularly those in your abdomen, thighs, and lower legs) experience high levels of stress. They bear the majority of your body’s mass, and without motion, they end up losing their natural fluids, which can cause discomfort when you start moving.
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General fatigue and loss of concentration
Aside from the legs and feet, extended standing can cause tightness in the rear, upper arms, and spine. Fatigue is common after having to stand for 5 hours.
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Lower limb muscle fatigue
This is caused by blood consolidating in the arms and legs as well as the muscle tissue actually holding your full body erect. The most prevalent symptoms include discomfort in the thighs, lower legs, and limbs, which is frequently preceded by fluid buildup.
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Varicose veins
These seem to be the most noticeable effects of protracted standing. This is induced by the veins’ gradual decline in resisting gravity’s contraction on the blood. During circulation, the blood vessels are capable of directing fluid from the hips and legs to other parts of the body.
Extended standing can deteriorate them and make them vulnerable to the effects of gravity. This creates excessive blood to circulate back the other way, causing blood vessels to expand and bulge.
Risk of Sitting for 8 Hours
Sitting has both short and long-term consequences on the body, going to make this supposedly harmless action conceivably lethal.
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Cancer Risk
According to new research, extended sitting may significantly raise your vulnerability to specific cancers such as lung, uterine, and colon cancer. The explanations are not exactly obvious.
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Cardiovascular Disease
Sitting indeed can harm your heart and result in cardiovascular illness. According to one study, men who splurge over 23 hours per week watching television tend to have a 64% increased chance of dying from cardiovascular illness, especially when compared with men who only watched television for 11 hours.
According to experts, people who tend to sit more will have a 147 percent increased chance of developing serious health problems or stroke.
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Diabetes Risk
People who spend so much time sitting have a 112 percent greater risk of developing diabetes. In one study, scientists found enhanced insulin resistance, a forerunner to diabetes, after only 5 days of bed rest.
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Legs and Glutes Weakness
You end up losing them when you’re not using them! By having to sit the whole day, you are not relying on your strong lower muscular system to keep you upright. This results in muscle wasting, or the diminishing of these muscle fibers. Your muscle is vulnerable to injury if you do not have good leg and glute skeletal muscle to regulate you.
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Gaining Weight
Mobility induces your muscle fibers to discharge molecules such as lipoprotein lipase, which aids in the digestion of fats and sugars. According to studies, if you spend the vast majority of your day seated, the discharge of these substances is reduced and your back end is more likely to broaden.
Even if you work out, you are likely to develop metabolic syndrome. One study discovered that men who spend so much time sitting down gain weight across the midpoint and this is a risky spot to hold fat.
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Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Deep vein thrombosis is a form of hemoglobin clot that typically occurs in the legs. When a piece of such blockage cracks off, it could split off blood circulation to other areas of the body including your lungs resulting in a pulmonary embolism.
This is a life-threatening emergency with the potential for serious consequences or even death. DVT can be induced by sitting for an extended period of time, sometimes on a long journey.
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Shoulders and neck stiffness
Prolonged sitting is bad for your arms and shoulders, just like it is bad for your legs, buttocks, and lower spine. This is particularly the case if you’re slouched over at a desktop.
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Hip pain and a bad back
Sitting is bad for your torso and rear, just like it is for your legs and glutes. Sitting shortens your hip flexors, and your sitting down posture could also harm your back, especially if you have poor posture or never use an adjustable chair. In addition, poor resting body position can induce compaction on the plates in your spine, leading to early deterioration and chronic pain.
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Depression and Anxiety
The psychological impacts of sitting for long periods are rarely noted just as many of the physical consequences. Individuals who sit the most are more likely to experience depression and anxiety. This might be due to the absence of psychological benefits of physical conditioning whenever one devotes their time seated instead of moving. If this is the case, regular physical activity can help to alleviate the above risks.
Conclusion
Standing for an extended period of time would be just as terrible as sitting for an extended period of time. According to numerous studies, sitting for long periods is dangerous.
For individuals whose professions require extended standing periods or who want to kick the pattern of constant sitting at work, there are ways to change that. You can get yourself a movable standing desk and start with your long-term lifestyle modification.