Can A Standing Desk Improve Vein Circulation?

Prolonged sitting is one of the contributing factors for individuals who develop varicose veins. Long hours of sitting work can affect your vein health in many ways. It puts them at risk of developing various health issues like varicose veins, obesity, heart problems, and even diabetes. If sitting at the desk is bad for you, will standing at the desk help? Logical reasoning has made standing desks a popular choice for people who spend long hours a day completing their job roles at the desk. Even standing for long hours may not be ideal for varicose veins because it increases pressure on veins and raises the risk of developing varicose veins.

Varicose veins at work

Varicose veins happen on your legs when vein valves fail to function properly and don’t carry blood back to the heart. The vein valves open and close rapidly, pushing the blood back to the heart. When there is a vein malfunction or slow blood circulation, blood starts pooling in the veins, increasing the pressure and leading to varicose veins. Studies have shown that both prolonged sitting and standing have a negative impact on vein health and increase the risk of developing varicose veins.

Impact of prolonged sitting on varicose veins

Prolonged sitting has many drawbacks. Extended sitting could have many adverse effects on your overall health, including vein health. Long hours of sitting can increase your odds of obesity, which in turn increases pressure on your veins, leading to varicose veins in your legs. Being overweight also contributes to cardiovascular problems and type 2 diabetes, which also has a negative impact on vein health, making you prone to vein inefficiencies like varicose veins. Every day exercises alone cannot combat the risks developed due to prolonged sitting. Standing desks could accompany your regular exercises and combat the risk of developing varicose veins due to prolonged sitting.

Impact of prolonged standing on varicose veins

Standing has gained popularity among people who are looking to counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting. While the idea behind standing is to have the right posture and improve blood circulation in veins, prolonged standing can increase pressure on your veins because veins have to work hard against gravity to push the blood back to the heart. The increased pressure on veins may strain them and lead to varicose veins. The effects of prolonged standing may vary as per the individual, and you may experience many varicose vein symptoms like pain and swelling. Standing may engage muscles to foster blood circulation, and long hours of standing may have adverse effects on vein health.

Is a standing desk the right choice for varicose veins?

Both prolonged standing and sitting are not ideal for varicose veins, but a standing desk can help boost blood circulation in veins as it moves up and down. By using the standing desk at the workstation, you will be able to alter your positions between sitting and standing; it aids you in a great way in fighting against the risk of developing varicose veins. Also, consider investing in an anti-fatigue mat that can help in reducing pressure on veins while you stand at the desk. Standing desks at the workstation will prevent you from prolonged standing or sitting and reduce the chances of pooling blood in your veins. Even small bursts of movement will promote blood circulation in veins and maintain it as it should. Though standing desks help in effective blood flow in veins, you should get into some regular exercises like brisk walking and low-impact exercises when you are off from work. Try to cut down on excess weight from the body by having fiber-rich food. If standing at a desk triggers spider veins in your legs, you should consider wearing compression stockings to apply pressure on your legs to foster blood flow.

How do standing desks help you?

As said, prolonged sitting can affect the blood flow in veins; you should use standing desks to alternate between standing and sitting during work hours and alleviate the chances of developing varicose veins. Altering your positions in between will engage your muscles and help better circulation in your legs. Experts recommend changing the positions every 20, 30, or 60 minutes while using the standing desk at the workstation to gain maximum benefit.

• Increased muscle engagement

When you stand at the station, you will be able to engage your leg muscles a bit and promote a healthy blood flow in the lower extremities. Your muscles remain inactive when you sit for longer hours.

• Prevent blood pooling in veins

Pooling of blood in veins is one of the primary causes of developing varicose veins, and blood pools easily when you sit for longer hours. Standing in between encourages a better circulation of blood, reducing the chances of developing varicose veins.

• Reduce the risk of DVT 

Deep vein thrombosis is commonly called DVT, and people develop this condition when they have blood clots in their veins. Standing desks encourage people to stand in between work hours, fostering movement throughout the day, which in turn reduces the chances of developing blood clots that put you at risk of developing DVT.

• Burn more calories

 If you try to stand more during work hours by switching your positions, you will be able to consume more calories and even cut down excess weight and reduce the pressure on the veins.

Using a standing desk effectively

A standing desk is an innovative solution to counteract blood circulation issues caused by a sedentary lifestyle. However, it is important to learn about using it effectively for the maximum benefit.

• Standing desks encourage individuals to stand at the workstation without the need to disturb their work routine. You should avoid standing all day, as it could strain your veins more, impacting their ability to push the blood back to the heart. Alter your work positions every hour.
• The anti-fatigue mat is a soft surface, and it can help reduce strain and stress on your veins while you stand at a standing desk.
• Though you use a standing desk to alter your positions during work, get into small walks during the breaks for better blood flow in your legs.
• You should also consider investing in proper footwear to alleviate the discomfort caused due to standing.
• Proper posture is very important to avoid any other problems when you are using a standing desk, so advise the height of the desk accordingly.

Effective solutions for varicose veins

Sedentary jobs that involve prolonged standing or sitting increase the chances of varicose veins in both men and women. Though standing desks are one of the effective solutions to prevent varicose veins at work, here are a few more effective tips to keep varicose veins at bay.

• Take scheduled breaks from standing or sitting during work hours and go for a walk for a while to improve blood circulation in the veins. Make it your everyday habit to improve your vein health.
• Rotating ankles at your desk is a simple yet effective solution to improve blood flow and reduce fluid buildup in ankles that contributes to swelling.
• While you use a standing desk at the job, you can try calf raises to improve blood flow. The muscles in the calf are important to boost the blood flow, and you can simply flex the muscles or raise the feet on your toes for a few seconds to improve blood circulation.

Talk to a vein health expert about treatment options

All the tips mentioned above, including using standing desks, will reduce the probability of developing varicose veins when you have a sedentary job. If you have already developed varicose veins or spider veins in your legs, you should speak to the vein doctor about optimal treatments for your condition. The minimal invasive treatments for varicose veins range from sclerotherapy to radiofrequency ablation. All the procedures are simple, assuring long-lasting results with less discomfort and downtime. However, all the self-care tips mentioned above should be practised to reduce the chances of recurrence of varicose veins.

Conclusion

Standing desks are an effective way to improve vein circulation and prevent the development of varicose veins when you have a sedentary job. They help you switch your positions between sitting and standing during work and foster mobility in muscles for healthy blood flow in veins. Though standing desks may help you manage symptoms like pain and swelling when you already have varicose veins, they are not your permanent solution to the problem.

Avis Hospitals, is a reputed vein care unit that treats varicose veins through minimal invasive procedures that require little downtime.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• How does prolonged sitting affect vein health?

Sitting for a longer period slows down blood circulation, and blood starts pooling in veins, increasing the chances of developing varicose veins.

• How does prolonged standing affect vein health?

When you stand for prolonged periods, veins have to work hard to push the blood to the heart against gravity. Excess pressure suffered by veins increases the likelihood of developing varicose veins.

• How do standing desks help with varicose veins?

Standing desks help in switching your positions between sitting and standing at the workstation and assist in promoting healthy blood circulation in the veins. Still, they cannot prevent the chances of developing varicose veins completely.

• How often should I switch between the positions?

You should change positions between 30 and 60 minutes to get maximum benefits from the standing desk.

• When should I consult a vein doctor to treat varicose veins?

If you see bulging of veins in your legs with persistent symptoms like pain and swelling in your legs in addition to bulging of veins, you should consult a doctor to discuss optimal treatments for varicose veins and prevent their progression.