What's Worse: Standing on Your Feet for an Hour or Walking for an Hour? (2024)

FAQs

What's Worse: Standing on Your Feet for an Hour or Walking for an Hour? ›

This may sounds like a trick question but the correct answer is standing on your feet for an hour is actually worse than walking. It is more tiring to stand in one place for an hour as it causes a few muscle groups in your feet and legs to fire for an extended period of time.

When you stand for extended periods, gravity can make it more challenging for blood to return to the heart, resulting in venous insufficiency and varicose veins. Don't worry; mitigating these risks includes wearing compression stockings or engaging in simple exercises to stimulate circulation.

Experts have found that you should try to stand for at least 2 hours per day, but up to 4 hours per day could be optimal. This might seem like a lot, but there are lots of ways you can fit standing into your day.

Standing requires leg strength and balance. Walking requires leg strength, balance, the ability to shift your weight while in motion, manage changes in surfaces and inclines, move up and down stairs, and so much more.

Prolonged and frequent standing, without some relief by walking, causes blood to pool in the legs and feet. This pooling may progress over time to chronic and painful varicose veins and inflammation. Excessive standing also causes the joints in the spine, hips, knees, and feet to become temporarily immobilized.

Yes, prolonged standing occupations were linked with twice the risk of heart disease as prolonged sitting jobs. However, prolonged sitting jobs were still linked, among men, with a 40 per cent higher risk of heart disease compared to jobs that involve a mix of standing, sitting and walking.

How Much is Considered Too Much Standing? If you are unsure the amount of standing you have to do for your job would be considered problematic, a good rule of thumb to remember is that prolonged standing is considered being on your feet more than 60% of your work day, repeated several times a week.

Risks begin to manifest for those who stand more than four hours per day. What constitutes “too much” standing can also change based on the circ*mstances. For instance, it is recommended that pregnant women avoid standing for prolonged periods of time.

Follow the 20-8-2 rule. Sit for 20 min, stand for 8 min, and move for 2 min. 5. Walk to talk to a co-worker instead of email, walk to the mailbox, walk to the neighbors, park far away from the mall or grocery.

Standing doesn't replace exercise: You'll only burn a few more calories standing, which is better than nothing. But walking more than doubles your calorie burn. Studies that compared the two showed treadmill desk users had much greater improvements in blood sugar and cholesterol levels than standing desk users.

How much standing is equivalent to walking? ›

It would take over 2 hrs of standing to burn as much energy as 30 min of walking. It would take nearly 6 hrs of standing to burn as much energy as 30 min of running.

Not surprisingly, then, standing for long periods is often associated with health problems from aching and swollen feet and ankles to night cramps, varicose veins, clogged arteries, back pain, and even long-term muscle damage.

Compared to sitting, when we stand, our hearts and circulatory systems work harder to maintain blood flow to the brain, because they are countering the effects of gravity. Standing still for long periods of time can lead to swelling, heaviness or cramping of the legs.

Risks begin to manifest for those who stand more than four hours per day. What constitutes “too much” standing can also change based on the circ*mstances. For instance, it is recommended that pregnant women avoid standing for prolonged periods of time.

On the transition from sitting in a chair to standing, blood is pooled in the lower extremities as a result of gravitational forces. Venous return is reduced, which leads to a decrease in cardiac stroke volume, a decline in arterial blood pressure, and an immediate decrease in blood flow to the brain.

Conditions that reduce your blood flow can give you bad circulation, such as: Smoking: Chemicals damage your blood vessels, putting you at a higher risk of atherosclerosis. High blood pressure: When your blood is pushing against your blood vessel walls with a lot of force, it can weaken them.