Most of us, our work requires us to work while standing most of the time. Being a radiographer, I sometimes find myself on my feet for at least 6 hours or more a day.
I have seen so many questions being asked by internet users, wondering if there are any benefits and consequences of prolonged standing while working.
From the perspective of a radiographer who enjoys research, I will answer some of the commonly asked questions using my personal experience and rely on scientific literature on the subject.
Happy reading!😀 and feel free to ask questions in the comments or share your own experience.🙏
Last updated: June, 2025. Written by Juliet Semakula, a diagnostic radiographer.
Food for thought! Some jobs necessitate prolonged standing, while others don’t. And some people prefer working while standing rather than sitting down and vice versa.what benefits do both settings bring.
▶️Is it healthy to be on your feet all day?
Standing for prolonged periods can have both positive and negative effects on your body. While it can be beneficial for certain aspects of health, it can also lead to negative outcomes for some people.
However, there is no general case where standing up to work is dangerous and forbidden for everyone.
▶️What are some of the scientific studies about the benefits of working while standing up?
A study done in Japan:
Standing while working has not yet become commonplace and there is little evidence to support the benefits of standing during the workday.
However, standing during work has begun to attract attention as a possible countermeasure against oversitting during the workday.
A sit–stand desk was one of the measures studied to help reduce the negative effects of sitting too long and increase employees’ general health and productivity.
A randomised trial of 74 Japanese desk workers participated in this 3-month intervention study.
The intervention effectiveness was assessed by measuring health, physical activity, and work-related outcomes.
Results:
🟣Standing helped to see improvement in neck and shoulder pain scores after a group of participants reduced their sitting to a sit-stand method.
🟣There was a significant increase in subjective health and productivity.
A study done in England:
The findings from an intervention study aimed at reducing sitting during working hours.
🟣Suggest that introducing sit–stand desks in offices reduces sitting time and improves general health effects
A small number of epidemiologic studies analysed that substituting sitting time for standing:
🟣Was beneficially associated with markers of cardiometabolic health such as glucose, insulin, and inflammation
Edwardson,2018
🟣Experimental evidence that incorporated sitting with 5-minute bouts of standing showed improved glucose insulin, blood pressure and fatigue levels (Henson,2016)
🟣Standing for a few hours while working has also shown to reduce musculoskeletal issues such as low back discomfort while maintaining work productivity. (Thorp,2014)
Future research is needed to accumulate further evidence of best practice of using a sit-stand desks.
▶️Are there negative consequences?
Working in a standing position does not have all its advantages, which is why it is so important to vary your posture.
What happens when you spend too long on your feet?
Working in a standing position on a regular basis can lead to (Waters,2015)
1️⃣Muscle fatigue and stiffness
Prolonged standing, especially in the same place, can put increased pressure on the lower body, leading to muscle fatigue and stiffness, particularly in the feet, legs, and back.
2️⃣Leg swelling and varicose veins
Standing can impede blood circulation, causing swelling in the legs and feet. This increased pressure on the veins can also contribute to the development of varicose veins.
3️⃣Lower back pain
Standing in awkward positions or with poor posture can exacerbate low back pain.
4️⃣ Foot pain
Prolonged standing can lead to foot problems like plantar fasciitis, corns, and bunions
5️⃣Joint problems
Temporary immobilization of the joints in the spine, hips, knees, and feet can also occur due to prolonged standing.
6️⃣Circulatory problems.
Prolonged standing can increase the risk of circulatory problems, including blood clots. Wearing compression stockings is sometimes suggested to limit this effect.
The quality of evidence explaining the benefits and consequences of prolonged standing at work. mainly because of limitations in study protocols and small samples sizes in most studies.
There is a need for larger follow-up studies to determine the benefits and consequences of prolonged standing while at work.
The Cochrane collaboration of 34 studies that involved over 3000 employees, trying to evaluate the effectiveness of corporate interventions to encourage people to work standing up.
Had this conclusion.
⚪The use of sit-stand appears to reduce the time spent sitting at work by an average of 84 to 116 minutes a day.
⚪Provide visual reminders on work desktops to remind works that they can take short breaks an hour from standing to a sitting position.
⚪ Educate staff at workshops or conferences the benefits of spending less time sitting and using standing as a short break to change position.
▶️ What is the maximum standing time?
There’s no strict “maximum standing time” collectively recommended.
It also depends a lot on your physical condition and whether you are used to a lot of static standing, your work demands and comfort levels.
For example, if you have never worked on your feet before, it will probably be difficult for you to stand regularly for more than 20 or an hour at a time, until you get used to standing then you may increase.
Personal note: As an interventional radiographer, when I am in theatre, screening for surgeons during a theatre case.
Am also on my feet until the procedure ends, and I always have lower back pain after 30 minutes and my feet stand hurting.
My workplace has a protocol of swapping you after one case or when you feel you need to change position. They send someone to swap you over then you take a break.
The European Union Occupational Safety and Health Agency defines jobs with a risk of prolonged standing when standing for more than 1 hour without a break or more than 4 hours a day.
So, it’s recommended to limit continuous standing to 30-60 minutes and incorporate movement breaks.
▶️Do I need a special desk to work
Depending on where you’re working, it’s perfectly possible to work standing up.
Personal note: I have chosen to have a high worktop in my kitchen and dining room. This allows me to work on it.
Although there are a few ergonomic tips for working positions such as the height of the work surface, the most important thing is to change position regularly.
Even if you have a perfect working desk, if you use it 8 hours a day without changing position or sitting down, you are likely to experience pain.
▶️Will my feet get used to standing all day?
Yes, your feet will get used to standing all day if you try to make changes on how long you stand.
How to stop foot pain from standing all day.
Here are a few tips to help you withhold prolonged standing during your working sessions.
⚪Proper Footwear and Support:
Wearing comfortable, supportive flat shoes with thick soles can help alleviate some of the strain of prolonged standing.
⚪ Regular Movement and Stretching:
Incorporating breaks to stretch and move can help mitigate the negative effects of prolonged static standing.
⚪ Listen to Your Body:
Pay attention to your body and adjust your standing time accordingly. If you start to feel pain or discomfort, take a break.
⚪Consider a Standing Desk:
If you’re able, consider using a standing desk to allow for alternating between sitting and standing
And while using a standing desk you may try to:
⚪Try to rest your forearms on the work surface, this will help distribute the weight of your body over a wider surface.
⚪Raise or lower your screen so that it’s at eye level from time to time.
⚪ Use a footrest when standing to help shift your weight as needed or shift your weight from leg to leg occasionally.
An example of ergonomic standing position. In real life it’s rarely like that. It’s an ideal to get closer to, while often varying your position! sources: CCOHS
▶️When is a standing position dangerous?
There is no general case where standing up to work is dangerous and forbidden for everyone.
For example, being pregnant is a contraindication to standing. In some studies, carried out in pregnant women, only standing ≥ 8 hours showed a moderate increase in preterm delivery rates (Waters,2015)
Based on my own opinion, to avoid various health issues such as pain in your feet caused by prolonged standing, always try to get breaks during prolonged standing.
We have come to the end of this article with any questions or comments? See you in the comments sections.
You may also be interested in this article.
⚫What are the 10 common effects of prolonged sitting?
📚Source:
Ma J, Ma D, Li Z, Kim H. Effects of a Workplace Sit-Stand Desk Intervention on Health and Productivity. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Nov 4;18(21):11604. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182111604. PMID: 34770116; PMCID: PMC8582919.
Edwardson CL, Biddle SJH, Clarke-Cornwell A, Clemes S, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Eborall H, Granat MH, Gray LJ, Healy GN, Richardson G, Yates T, Munir F. A three arm cluster randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the SMART Work & Life intervention for reducing daily sitting time in office workers: study protocol. BMC Public Health. 2018 Sep 14;18(1):1120. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-6017-1. PMID: 30217233; PMCID: PMC6137871.
Henson J, Davies MJ, Bodicoat DH, Edwardson CL, Gill JM, Stensel DJ, Tolfrey K, Dunstan DW, Khunti K, Yates T. Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting With Standing or Walking Attenuates the Postprandial Metabolic Response in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Acute Study. Diabetes Care. 2016 Jan;39(1):130-8. doi: 10.2337/dc15-1240. Epub 2015 Dec 1. PMID: 26628415.
Thorp AA, Kingwell BA, Owen N, Dunstan DW. Breaking up workplace sitting time with intermittent standing bouts improves fatigue and musculoskeletal discomfort in overweight/obese office workers. Occup Environ Med. 2014 Nov;71(11):765-71. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102348. Epub 2014 Aug 28. PMID: 25168375.
Shrestha N, Kukkonen-Harjula KT, Verbeek JH, Ijaz S, Hermans V, Pedisic Z. Workplace interventions for reducing sitting at work. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Dec 17;12(12):CD010912. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010912.pub5. PMID: 30556590; PMCID: PMC6517221.
Waters TR, Dick RB. Evidence of health risks associated with prolonged standing at work and intervention effectiveness. Rehabil Nurs. 2015 May-Jun;40(3):148-65. doi: 10.1002/rnj.166. Epub 2014 Jul 7. PMID: 25041875; PMCID: PMC4591921.