Most jobs require people to sit down at their desks for the duration of their work. This kind of working style can affect you mentally and physically.
Sitting for long periods can increase the risk of developing chronic health problems like heart disease and diabetes. Too much sitting can also cause anxiety and depression, although the link between sitting and mental health is not clear.
But the risk of experiencing these is more prevalent in people who spend more time sitting down. This is because we are built to stand upright. The different systems in our body can work effectively when we are upright.
Being physically active can improve endurance, help strengthen the bones and improve the body’s energy levels. To avoid being overweight and developing heart diseases, standing and moving around are a must.
Working in the office can tie you to your desk most of the time. This means sitting for hours on end which is a major problem for most office workers. However, some options can be arranged to create a healthy working environment that can help promote a healthy working style for the employees.
This is when standing desk benefits come in. Standing desks are getting positive responses in workplaces since this stand-up desk can allow you to stand comfortably while working.
You can change the height of the desk to your preference, as when you feel the need to sit on a chair or stand. This type of working arrangement can greatly negate the harmful effects of too much sitting.
Benefits of Using Standing Desk
1. Lower the Risk of Obesity
Weight gain can be the result of taking too many calories without burning them off through exercise. Using a standing desk that allows you to do your “desk job” while standing can help burn calories.
This is among the many benefits of standing desk that you can get from using it. To remain uptight means more calories are needed to support the effort of standing. Sitting, on the other hand, can let the calories add up significantly over some time.
2. Lowers Blood Sugar
People with diabetes 2 or insulin resistance can benefit from using a standing desk, especially at work. A small study conducted for office workers standing for 180 minutes after lunch has a significantly lower sugar spike of 43% as compared to those who sit for the same period of time.
It shows that standing while doing office activities can help in reducing the blood sugar levels after meals which can contribute positively to your health.
Excessive sedentary time, like working while sitting after meals may explain the increase of the risk of getting type 2 diabetes at a staggering probability of 112%.
3. Lowers Heart Disease
It was proposed in 1953 that standing contributes to a healthy heart and better health. The study conducted on bus drivers and conductors show that the likelihood of conductors getting heart-related diseases is half the risk compared to their driver counterparts who sit most of the time during driving. The benefits of working on your feet using a standing desk are beneficial to your heart and overall health.
4. Reduced Back Pain
Anybody who sits for a long period may suffer from back pains. This is true for most office workers who are tied to their desks for the duration of their office hours.
Finding a way to improve the working condition can be done by swapping the usual desk to an adjustable standing desk that can serve both ways, sitting or standing.
It can significantly make a difference in reducing back pains commonly experienced by workers tied to their desks. The use of a standing desk benefits both the upper back and the neck, reducing the soreness and pain in those areas.
5. Improves Mood and Energy Level
Sedentary time while working may affect the mental health of employees. A 7-week study was conducted where participants who use standing desks while working, have reported positive outcomes in terms of experiencing less stress and fatigue among the standing desk participants as compared to those who sit at work the entire day. They have more energy and vigour throughout their working hours.
6. Boosts Productivity
For some workers, standing while working may take some time to get used to. Most of the concerns of standing while working are that it might hinder office tasks like typing.
Studies conducted on using a standing desk for 4 hours while typing did not produce any significant impact on the character types per minute or typing errors.
This was done with 40 office participants in whom the result can be considered that the standing desk can maintain or add to the productivity in the office rather than hinder it.
7. Using a Standing Desk may Help you Live Longer
It is estimated that the reduction of sitting time by 3 hours a day can significantly increase the life expectancy by two years. This is according to the different studies conducted regarding sitting time and early death.
These observational studies may help us understand the benefits of reducing our sedentary work styles and evolve to a healthier alternative at work like taking advantage of the benefit of using standing desks.
Sitting less is an important lifestyle change and taking advantage of the benefits of standing desk can help you on both physical and mental levels. Using a standing desk can be a game-changer that will help you achieve a better working atmosphere.
We know that sitting too much can be bad for your health but it doesn’t mean you will have to stand during the duration of your working hours.
You need to alternate sitting and standing using your standing desk as your legs can also get tired if you stand for a prolonged period.
You can check which setup you are comfortable with, like for every two hours of sitting you will alternate to 1-hour standing while doing your job. Or you can alternate standing and sitting every 30 to 60 minutes.
As they say, sitting is the new smoking. So better use the standing desk and reduce the sedentary behavior of sitting to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
She enjoys assessing and reviewing home office furniture such as standing desks, ergonomic chairs and lighting accessories. As such, she created Healthy Land to share her thoughts and insights. Danielle only recommends items she deems beneficial to the users as she understands how important ergonomics is, especially to remote workers.
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