Don’t defend yourself.

In fact, one study suggests that standing for too long does not improve heart health and may even increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

Experts have warned for years that being still for too much of the day increases the risk of many health problems, including weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cancer and even premature death.

Yet Australian researchers now say that standing rather than sitting does not reduce the risk of heart and vascular problems.

Scientists, who tracked the exercise habits of more than 80,000 Britons, found that standing for two hours a day did not increase the risk of developing circulatory problems.

A study suggests that standing for too long does not improve heart health and may even increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

While some warning signs are easy to spot, such as severe chest pain, others are more vague and difficult to identify.

But the risk increased by 11 percent for each additional half hour thereafter.

Dr Matthew Ahmadi, a population health expert at the University of Sydney and lead author of the study, said: “Standing for too long will not compensate for an otherwise sedentary lifestyle and could be risky for some people in circulatory health terms.

“We found that standing more does not improve long-term cardiovascular health and increases the risk of circulatory problems.”

In this study, researchers analyzed cardiac and circulatory data from 83,013 adults with an average age of 61, who wore smartwatch-like devices on their wrists to track their movements.

During a seven-year follow-up, they discovered about eight percent had a cardiovascular problem, such as heart disease, stroke or heart failure.

Just over two percent reported a circulation problem, such as varicose veins or deep vein thrombosis.

Their risk of circulation problems was significantly higher even after just a few hours of standing, the researchers said.

On the other hand, the risk of circulation problems decreased slightly between six and ten hours of sitting.

Each additional hour spent beyond ten increased the risk of circulatory problems by 26 percent.

Staying still for more than 12 hours also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 13 percent per hour.

In an article published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, scientists concluded that sitting for long periods of time is bad for your health.

But they also advised people wanting to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease to exercise more regularly rather than standing for long periods each day.

Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, a population health expert at the University of Sydney and co-author of the study, said: “For people who sit regularly for long periods of time, including many incidental movements throughout the throughout the day and structured exercise may be a better solution. to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

“Take regular breaks, take a walk, walk to a meeting, use the stairs, take regular breaks when driving long distances, or use that lunch hour to get away from the desk and get some movement . »

It comes as data released earlier this year revealed that premature deaths from cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, reached their highest level in more than a decade.

Cases of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes among those under 75 have fallen since the 1960s thanks to falling smoking rates, advanced surgical techniques and advances such as stents and statins.

But today, increasing rates of obesity and associated health problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, are considered a major contributing factor.

Slow ambulance response times for Category 2 calls in England – which include suspected heart attacks and strokes – as well as long waits for tests and treatment have also been blamed for the increase, which is also felt among young adults.

Despite the claims of anti-vaxxers, cardiologists say fears that Covid vaccines may have fueled a rise in heart problems are far from true.