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It’s very easy in today’s day and age to get caught in the bad habit of sitting down for hours and hours per day. But did you know that this can have negative side effects on your long term health?
According to (Biswas et. al, 2015) & (Wilmott et. al, 2012), people who sit still for long periods of time every day have an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and early death.
As well as this, sitting down all the time means that you burn very few calories a day, and studies have shown that it can correlate to obesity and weight gain.
If you are an office worker, you may be thinking, well “I don’t have a choice with my job.”
Well, have we got a solution for you! Have you heard or considered standing desks? We are here to help you understand how these wonderful little gadgets will revolutionize the way we work!
[/cmsmasters_text][cmsmasters_heading type=”h1″ font_weight=”normal” font_style=”normal” text_align=”left” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ animation_delay=”0″]What Is a Standing Desk?[/cmsmasters_heading][cmsmasters_text animation_delay=”0″]
Simply put, a standing desk is a desk that lets you stand up while working.
There are several variants of standing desks are readily adjustable, allowing you to change heights of your desk, meaning that you can choose to sit down or stand up at your leisure.
Whilst most research is still in early stages, evidence has shown that use of standing desk can have great benefits for health, and can also contribute to increased levels of productivity.
At the absolute minimum, such desks can help prevent damaging effects of sitting too much.
Here are 5 benefits of using a standing desk, that is backed by science.
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[/cmsmasters_text][cmsmasters_heading type=”h1″ font_weight=”normal” font_style=”normal” text_align=”left” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ animation_delay=”0″]1. Using a Standing Desk May Decrease Blood Sugar Levels[/cmsmasters_heading][cmsmasters_text animation_delay=”0″]
It is widely known, that the more your blood sugar levels surge following meals, the worse it is for your health.
This is specifically the case for people with type II diabetes or insulin resistance.
A small-scale study of 10 office workers by (Buckley et. al, 2014), showed evidence that standing for 3 hours following lunch, lowered the blood sugar surge by 43% in comparison to sitting down for the equal space of time.
Both groups took an equal number of steps, demonstrating that the lower spike was as a result of standing rather than physical activity around the office.
Further, by studying 23 office workers, (Thorp et. al, 2014) found that changing between sitting down and standing up every 30 minutes during the workday lowered blood sugar spikes by 11.1% on average.
Sitting following meals has been proven to have damaging effects which could explain why excessive sitting down is linked to a 112% greater risk of type 2 diabetes.
[/cmsmasters_text][cmsmasters_heading type=”h1″ font_weight=”normal” font_style=”normal” text_align=”left” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ animation_delay=”0″]2. Standing Reduces Your Risk of Weight Gain and Obesity[/cmsmasters_heading][cmsmasters_text animation_delay=”0″]
Did you know that weight gain at its essence arises from consuming more calories than those burnt?
Obviously, it makes sense that burning more calories than consumed leads to weight loss.
Though exercising is a very efficient way to the most effective way to use your calories quickly, but simply deciding to stand instead of sitting down can also contribute to weight loss.
In the comparison of an afternoon of desk-bound working and standing work, it was found that standing burnt over 170 more calories than sitting down did (Buckley et. al, 2014).
In one week, this simple change means that you will be burning almost an extra thousand calories.
This difference in calories may be one of the reasons why sitting for longer periods of time are correlated to weight gain and obesity (Biswas et. al, 2015) & (Levine, 2005).
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[/cmsmasters_text][cmsmasters_heading type=”h1″ font_weight=”normal” font_style=”normal” text_align=”left” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ animation_delay=”0″]3. Standing Desks Appear to Reduce Back Pain[/cmsmasters_heading][cmsmasters_text animation_delay=”0″]
Back pain is one of the most common injuries from office workers who sit all day long.
Several studies have been undertaken with employees that suffer from long term back pain to see if standing desks can help improve this.
Those who partook in the study reported up to a 32% improvement in lower back pain following a number of weeks of using standing desks (Ognibean, 2016) & (Thorpe, 2014).
Moreover, another study by the CDC found that use of a sit-stand desk lowered upper back and neck pain by 54% after just 4 weeks (13Trusted Source).
In addition to this, following this trial, they reverted to normal desks, and within two weeks, this effectively reversed some of the progress made throughout the first four weeks.
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[/cmsmasters_text][cmsmasters_heading type=”h1″ font_weight=”normal” font_style=”normal” text_align=”left” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ animation_delay=”0″]4. Standing May Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease[/cmsmasters_heading][cmsmasters_text animation_delay=”0″]
In 1953, a study by (Morris & Crawford, 1958) found that bus drivers who sat down all day had twice the risk of heart disease-related deaths in comparison to their conductor colleagues who stood up all day long.
Following this, scientists have gathered a much greater sense of understanding surrounding the effects of sitting on heart health. It’s been proven by (Wilmott et al., 2012) that prolonged sedentary time raises the risk of heart disease by up to 147%.
Without a doubt, spending more time on your feet is very beneficial for heart health.
[/cmsmasters_text][cmsmasters_heading type=”h1″ font_weight=”normal” font_style=”normal” text_align=”left” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ animation_delay=”0″]5. Standing Desks Help Improve Mood and Energy Levels[/cmsmasters_heading][cmsmasters_text animation_delay=”0″]
Are you looking for a way to improve your mood and energy levels? Standing desks can help with this!
A week-long study it was concluded that participants using standing desks reported lowered levels of stress and fatigue than those who remained seated the entire workday (Pronk et. al, 2015).
Moreover, 87% of those utilizing standing desks reported increased energy levels during the day.Update
When reverting to their old desks, their overall moods returned to their original levels.
These findings draw parallels to broader research on mental health and sitting, which relates time spent sitting down to an increased risk of both depression and anxiety (Hammer & Stamatakis, 2014) & (Pronk et. al, 2015).
[/cmsmasters_text][cmsmasters_heading type=”h1″ font_weight=”normal” font_style=”normal” text_align=”left” margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ animation_delay=”0″]A Podiatrist’s Perspective…[/cmsmasters_heading][cmsmasters_text animation_delay=”0″]
With so many benefits relating to standing desks, why hasn’t everyone switched to them yet? Well as with anything, too much of a good thing can turn into the complete opposite…
It is important to realise that standing for too long can also have negative effects on your feet, as it puts increased pressure on your lower extremities. This can be very damaging for those already suffering from conditions such as plantar fasciitis (Richie, 2016).
However, by ensuring that you
- switch between sitting and standing every thirty minutes
- wearing supportive footwear
- use cushioning under your feet
you will be able to reap the positive benefits from reducing levels of prolonged sitting whilst minimizing the negative effects of prolonged sitting.
As with everything, life is all about balance! If you have want more information on this topic, simply contact us on 6269 2038 today!
Have you switched to a standing desk? Are there any specific health benefits you have experienced following the switch? Let us know in the comments below!
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