What it takes: Sore feet and legs
Standing in one spot on a hard floor, especially in flat or thin-soled shoes, tires your feet and calves and can aggravate heel pain such as plantar fasciitis. A cushioned mat and supportive shoes help.
Standing desk user
Swapped the chair for standing, and found standing has its own costs.
Standing desks help break up long sitting, which is good. But standing still for hours is not the answer either. Long, motionless standing loads your feet, legs and lower back and pools blood in your leg veins. The goal is to change position often, not to pick a new one and hold it.
What it takes and what to do
What it takes: Blood pooling in the legs
Standing still makes it harder for leg veins to push blood back to your heart. Over years, long hours of standing are linked to swollen ankles and varicose veins. Moving, shifting weight and calf raises keep the calf muscles pumping.
What to do about Blood pooling in the legs
Do calf raisesWeeklyRise onto your toes to strengthen calves and ankles for standing, walking and running. Get up and move every 30 minutesDailyBreak up long stretches of sitting with a few minutes of standing or walking. Vary your grip and postureDailySwitch hands, tasks and positions so the same muscles and tendons are not loaded for hours.What it takes: Lower back fatigue from locked posture
When you stand for a long time, it is easy to lock your knees, sink into one hip or let your lower back arch. A low footrest to prop one foot on, and alternating with sitting, eases the load.
What to do about Lower back fatigue from locked posture
Make long standing easierDailyUse a cushioned mat or insoles, shift your weight and take breaks when your job keeps you on your feet. Do glute bridgesDailyLift your hips off the floor to strengthen the buttock muscles that sitting tends to switch off. Do dead bugsWeeklyA lying core exercise that trains your trunk to stay steady while your arms and legs move.What it takes: Desk height set for one position only
A desk raised for standing but a monitor left at sitting height, or the other way round, puts your neck and wrists at bad angles. Both positions need their own setup.
What to do about Desk height set for one position only
Check your desk setupAs neededSet chair, keyboard and screen so you can work in a relaxed, neutral posture. Do chin tucksDailyGlide your head straight back to counter the forward-head posture that screens and desks encourage.When to see a professional
See a doctor for bulging painful veins, heel pain that lasts more than a few weeks, or back pain that spreads down a leg. See a doctor the same day for pain, swelling or warmth in one leg; call 911 for sudden shortness of breath or chest pain.