ABSTRACT
The moral of the story is that standing or adopting any other kind of fixed posture for any length of time is unhealthy and the best way to avoid discomfort is to avoid fixed postures. Prolonged standing in one place is a common cause of leg complaints, varicose veins and other circulatory problems in many occupations such as saleswomen. Postural sway was measured and compared with the amount of sway occurring when the subjects were asked to stand as they could. Cardiac output is reduced when standing compared to lying down because of the pooling of blood in the lower limbs – there is less blood returning to the heart and therefore less blood available to carry oxygen to other parts of the body. Several researchers have investigated foot swelling in prolonged standing. There are many reasons why employees should not have to stand on cold, hard floors.
