Office workers around the world have embraced standing desks as a passive way to improve their health, though the concrete benefits may not stand up to scrutiny, new research from the University of Sydney has found.

In recent years, more people have been opting for standing work to counteract the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Standing desks are becoming standard in many offices, and employees often spend entire days in this position.

Using adjustable desks or sit-stand workstations can encourage frequent changes in posture, promoting better health. Incorporating gentle exercises like walking, stretching, or light yoga can also help combat the effects of inactivity. "The data used in the study was not explicitly collected on standing desk usage," the researchers clarified.

Bad news for standing desk zealots: you may not be as superior to your seated counterparts as you think. Researchers at the University of Sydney have found that standing desks do not seem to reduce the risk of heart disease — and they may actually increase circulatory issues like varicose veins.

Standing desks were intended to counter the effects of sitting at a screen all day in the office, but new research suggests otherwise. In a study of 80,000 adults in the UK, standing desks were shown to not be an effective solution for reducing health risks from prolonged sitting.