One important standing desk health benefit is the long-term health improvements by reducing the risk of certain ailments attributed to a sedentary lifestyle.
Studies suggest that work standing and/or incorporating more movement into a typical workday increases blood flow, leading to increased concentration, decreased fatigue, and weight loss.
Standing desk: what are they?
People who sit the whole day will have a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and premature death – Harvard Medical School (1)
Also, sitting for a long time is the enemy of calories burning. Many studies have linked it to obesity and weight gain. Today, this is the main problem for office workers, as they often sit around the clock. Good thing, standing desk health benefits can possibly compensate it.
Others may call these height-adjustable desks. Although there are still need to be more scientific studies showing the benefits of this office item, many health professionals believe that it can partially negate the harmful effects of sitting too often.
The lifestyles that involve prolonged periods of sitting have linked to a variety of problems in health, including heart disease, obesity, and chronic back pain. The bodies of us were not designed to be inactive for hours. The biological processes, from metabolism to joint lubrication, depending on movements.
Health problems
Many workers seek to reduce the risk of back pain by swapping their standard desks for standing desks. These standing desks allow you to maintain an upright position easier throughout the day and encourage more movement as you are already on your feet.
Muscle Pain
Back pain commonly occurs when sitting due to the stress that poor posture places on the back. For people with the developed core muscle group, abdominal muscles eventually give way during an 8-hour sitting day, leaving the lower back muscles with the brunt of the work. When standing, the lower back muscles are not only assisted by the stomach muscles, but also the pelvic, gluteal, and leg muscles to support the weight of the upper body.
Standing all day in one position is as bad as sitting all day. Standing desk health benefits can be enhanced with accessories, e.i., stools, and footrests to allow you to rest your feet and legs occasionally. As with a normal desk to sit on, it is also important to move around, for example, taking a few minutes to stretch every hour or taking short walks around the office.
Cost
Depending on the complexity and features of the desktop, the price can range from a very cheap DIY version to many thousands of dollars/euros. The most expensive is the hydraulically adjustable desks that serve as full-size standing and sitting desks.
Standing vs. sitting
- First, you can expect a standing desk is usually more expensive than a stationary fixed desk, but it also depends on other factors, e.g., designs or materials, etc.
- Proper standing posture, much like a seated position, mandates that displays are raised to eye level, and keyboards positioned to allow for slight downward and downward flex at the elbow.
- The components of a standing desk are the ability to raise materials to eye level, the simplicity of height adjustment, and having the best possible ergonomic keyboard support (tray, pad, etc) to save your wrist after all those hours of typing.
- For better back health, people who choose to use an ergonomic standing desk are most likely concerned about their correct posture. This means that the back must be straight without leaning forward.
- To help prevents and eliminates unnatural curvature in the back, to use a standing desk that can raise computer screens, documents, and other devices to eye level. Just because you’re standing doesn’t mean your posture may be improved!
- The key aspect of a standing desk is the height adjustability. Beyond lifting materials, so you can look them in the eye, it’s also important to understand how often you’ll be on your feet during the day.
If you are looking for a sit/stand desk that allows you to easily switch from sitting to standing during your typical workday, the simplicity of the adjustment mechanism is a key to breaking free from the sitting position. If you plan to be on your feet for most of the day, the importance of the adjustment mechanism decreases slightly.
Is standing better than sitting?
Not completely. Most people began to realize some of the advantages of tape desks and the health benefits with them. Around the same time, manufacturers of these devices realized this and began to market them effectively to the public; at the same time demonstrating that both standing and moving is more beneficial to a person’s health than sitting for long periods. It is important to maintain a good balance between sitting and standing, we recommend a ratio of 1:1 for beginner or 1:3 for more advanced users.
Standing Desk Health Benefits
Back pain reduction
More office workers complain of back pain. Back pain is so common that the World Health Organisation has recognised it as a major cause of disability (2). Those who used standing desks claimed there was a significant improvement in low back pain after some weeks. The chronic back pain is the result of prolonged sitting can be reduced by using this simple piece of stationery.
Enhanced Mood and Energy Levels
Hard to believe, but research has shown that standing desk health benefits have expanded to a positive effect on a person’s overall well-being. In 2011, the Take-a-stand study (3) done in Minneapolis, Minnesota shows that during a 4-week research period, a reduction of, on average 66 minutes of sitting per day, reduces the feelings of stress and fatigue while improving energy levels for ±80% of participants.
Lower risk of obesity and weight gain
Weight gain occurs when you eat more calories than you burn. Burning calories than you eat will result in weight loss. Exercise is known to be an effective way to burn calories; choosing to stand rather than sit can also be very beneficial. Keep in mind that standing for an hour can burn 50 calories more than an equal amount sitting, according to research done by Dr. John Buckley and a team of researchers from the University of Chester. Over time, this difference can surely have a big impact on your weight.
Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Standing desk health benefits also not exclude lower blood sugar levels, especially after meals, it could help explain why extreme sedentary time is associated with diabetes. Using standing desks at work may help lower levels of blood sugar, especially after lunch. Blood flows faster through the veins in your body, thus speed up metabolism, and contributed to reducing the formation of blood clots inside your body.
Lower risk of heart disease
A bit old, but in 1953, a study done by British Medical Journal (4) found that bus drivers had half the risk of death related to heart disease compared to their colleagues in the driver’s seats. This has led scientists to better understand the effects of sitting on heart health. This also means that the longer you sit, the higher your risk of developing heart disease.
How to take advantage of the standing desk health benefits?
The following explains some helpful tips on how to take advantage of all standing desk health benefits, so as not to hamper your production while working. Disclaimer: many of them are common sense.
Start at a gradual pace
Think of it from the perspective marathon runner if, for example, you want to start running without shoes on your feet. Rather than making a quick transition from wearing shoes one day and not wearing them the next day, you most likely want to make the change at a gradual pace to avoid any type of injury.
The same can be said for using a stand-up workstation for the first time. Start at a steady pace every day for about an hour or two on the first days until you are ready for more.
Apply the appropriate technique
Make sure the standing desk is positioned so that your forearms are aligned with the floor whenever they are resting on top of the desk. If you were using any type of monitor screen, be sure to position them so that you don’t have to lean or lean forward to see them.
Keeping everything close while at your workstation will cause less hassle while not hampering your productivity.
Keep moving
Take a couple of minutes to maintain circulation by waving your arms and legs, as well as stretching and bending a bit to stay agile. If you happen to have light dumbbells nearby, you can do a few wrist curls or even do a small series of deep-knee curls. It can be surprising to feel a sudden surge of energy, all from a little calisthenics exercise, while at the same time allowing you to be on your feet for an extended period.
Make-believe you are at the bar.
Social junctures like bars and clubs have footrests for obvious reasons. It becomes very uncomfortable if you stay in the same position for a long time. Alternate each foot on an elevated plane, such as a stool or chair, for support. Did you know that you are more open for a chat standing desk, remember those cocktail parties?
Get out there and move.
The whole concept behind using a standing desk is to keep you healthy and improve your well-being, so the only thing more beneficial to your health than standing would be walking. For those who can take breaks from work, use this time to walk around the building several times during the day. Over time, it can be beneficial to your health and energy level.
Conclusion
Standing desks, also known as standing desks, are desks that allow a person to stand up comfortably while working on their computer. Nowadays, as demand grows, so does supply. You can enjoy all of the standing desk health benefits without draining your bank account.
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Sources:
(2) https://www.who.int/medicines/areas/priority_medicines/Ch6_24LBP.pdf?ua=1
(3) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23057991/
(4) Morris JN, Crawford MD. Coronary Heart Disease and Physical Activity of Work. British Medical Journal. 1958;2(5111):1485-1496.
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