The discussion of whether to sit or stand while working has become a hot-list health topic in the last several years. This argument takes many forms with the most popular one being that “sitting is the new smoking.” But even if we don’t take things that far, there’s still reasonable ground to cover in this discussion. Plus, a new study has found that standing may very well make you a better thinker.
And although the numerous health benefits of standing while working should be reason enough for you to do it, I’d say that a reasonable combination of sitting and standing is probably the best formula for overall health. The ideal piece of office furniture to help you in that is a standing desk. They come in different styles – from stationary desk to floating models that can be adjusted to be used for both sitting and standing in a matter of seconds. A standing desk is a great investment for a lot of reasons, here are some of them.
Lower risk of obesity – When you consume more calories than your body can burn – you gain weight. This becomes much easier when you spend a great part of the day sitting. But what if you could burn calories with little-to-no effort while still at work? Just by working on a standing desk you can burn about 50 calories more per hour, thus reduce your risk of weight gain.
Better posture – Sitting for a long period of time can easily lead to bad posture. Fortunately, standing desks are here to help you deal with this issue. If you want to reduce eye strain and improve your posture, get a standing office desk and set up the desk and computer at the right height.
Lower risk of cancer – Colon and breast cancer are related to lack of physical activity. There are no definitive answers why sitting leads to such health issues, but still, reducing sitting can minimize your risk. So, yes, buying a standing desk is not only an investment in a piece of furniture but also an investment in your health.
The list of the benefits of standing desks does not end here, but I hope that these few are strong enough to make you consider buying one. There is no doubt that these furniture pieces are beneficial for your health, but once you decide to buy a standing desk, there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind.
First, start slow. You don’t have to switch your six hours of sitting to six hours of standing. Start standing for about 20 minutes per day and add minutes with time. When you are used to sitting for many hours, standing for too long too fast can negatively affect your body. For more comfortable standing, you can use a mat. Also, consider non-slip shoes.
Working on a standing desk is beneficial but only if you set it up right. In case any part of your body starts hurting, adjust your desk so you can stand more comfortably. Also, move. That way you will stretch your muscles and keep your metabolism and blood circulation going.
