Farewell to the era of agriculture and industrialization, human beings have entered the era of information intelligence, which means that people are increasingly reliant on computers at work, resulting in most of our waking hours sitting. As medical research about the health dangers of prolonged sitting has poured in over the past few years, it has become a huge killer of chronic pain, serious health problems and low productivity. Multiple studies have shown that people who live a sedentary lifestyle or sit and work for long periods of time are more likely to develop type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, weight gain, and shortened life expectancy. Even worse, the long-term effects of sitting often cannot simply be counteracted by exercise or diet!
The growing demand for a healthy office among the large white-collar population has driven the market for ergonomic furniture products, the most popular of which are standing desks that help offset the damage caused by long periods of inactivity. Although research is still in its early stages, standing desks have emerged as a valuable workplace perk. According to the report, more employers are purchasing or subsidizing standing desks for their employees — companies like Facebook and Google are early adopters of standing desks — and more people are buying standing desks for their home offices.
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of standing desks!
Increases Energy and Improve Mood
People who sit more than six hours per day were more likely to show signs of psychological distress and feel tired than those who sit less. Standing at your desk is a great way to boost your mood and energy levels, improving mood, reducing depression, fatigue and stress, and having a positive impact on overall well-being.
As a PubMed study showed, when using a sit-stand desk, participants felt less stressed, more energetic, healthier, more focused, and happier. When the sit-stand desk was removed, the participants’ mood and energy levels returned to what they were before using the sit-stand desk, implying that the sit-stand desk was a source of improved health.
If you often feel tired or depressed at work, try a height adjustable standing desk to improve your mood and energy levels while reducing stress and fatigue.
Improves Posture And Relieves Neck And Back Pain
If you are someone who sits all day, I’m guessing you’ve experienced some type of back and/or neck pain. When hunched over and staring at a monitor for extended periods of time, your cervical spine and back tend to experience extra stress, which can even lead to disc damage.
If you’re struggling with back pain or experience frequent neck aches, a few hours standing might relieve your discomfort.
In the “Take-a-Stand Project” in 2011, by studying a group of people of individuals who tried sitting, standing, or walking over the course of one week, two weeks, and four weeks, researchers found that participants who spent an average of 66 minutes of their work day standing experienced a 54% reduction in upper back and neck pain.
So if you are looking to relieve your neck or back pain, a standing desk could be the perfect solution as it positions the spine in improved / optimal neutral alignment. Or use the Monitor Arm to keep your monitor in an ergonomic position, which allows your neck to be in a natural, unstressed position.
With desks or monitors adjusted to the correct height, neck strain and back slumping can be eliminated from daily cell memory.
Boosts Your Focus and Productivity
When the body as a whole is in better shape, it functions more efficiently and it can be reasonably expected that this would in turn boost productivity.
A critical benefit of standing vs. sitting is that oxygen will feed your creativity and help you avoid mental fatigue and reach your true potential. Small changes in standing create more blood flow to your brain, giving your brain more oxygen, so you’ll stay sharp and be able to focus on tasks longer. Movement encourages the production of new brain cells which lets your core processor function at peak capacity.
And the aforementioned boost of energy and mood, along with a reduction in back, shoulder, and neck pain, can also help boost your focus and productivity.
A Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health study confirmed that standing will increase productivity up to 46%. This landmark study also suggests that you will become more productive after using your sit-stand desk for 60 days.
Reduces Risk of Weight Gain and Obesity
Weight gain is often caused by an unhealthy diet and/or overeating. However, another cause of obesity and excessive weight gain is living a sedentary lifestyle.
Sitting for hours can cause irreparable damage to your health. One of the reasons for this is that prolonged sitting will slow down your metabolism. The longer you sit rather than stand, the more fat will accumulate in your liver, heart, and brain.
According to Dr. John Buckley of the Department of Clinical Sciences and Nutrition, standing burns more calories than sitting, although not a complete replacement for exercise, which is better than nothing.
One of the benefits of using a standing desk is that it encourages movement. Studies show that using a standing desk can lower your body mass index (BMI) in both adults and children. Allows you to burn more calories and reduce your risk of obesity by activating your body’s systems for processing cholesterol, blood sugar and triglycerides. By combining this with a sensible diet and regular exercise, you’ll be on the right path to a healthier body.
Lowers Blood Sugar Levels and Risk of Type II Diabetes
Exercise and movement are key elements in the fight against diabetes. After a day of sitting still, metabolism slows, insulin’s ability to process sugar drop dramatically, and the risk of Type II diabetes increases.
In general, the more blood sugar levels increase after meals the worse it is for your health. This is especially true for those with insulin resistance or Type II diabetes.
Research from the National Institutes of Health reveals that standing for 180 minutes after lunch reduces blood sugar spikes by 43% compared to sitting for the same amount of time. The control group took the same amount of steps, indicating that the smaller spike was due to standing rather than additional physical movements around the office. For people with type 2 diabetes, this reduction in blood sugar levels is significant. If you’re not that keen on standing all day, another study found that alternating between standing and sitting every 30 minutes throughout the workday reduced blood sugar spikes by an average of 11.1% .
Decrease Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and Early Mortality
Inactivity puts you at high risk for heart disease and cardiovascular disease. People who sit for long periods of time have even shorter lifespan due to poor cardiovascular health.
When we stand, we improve leg muscles, balance and core strength, improve blood circulation and prevent blood clots from forming in the legs. Light exercise is very beneficial for healthy organs and function.
In addition, Studies have shown that prelonged sitting increases the risk of colon, breast and endometrial cancers. The reason is unclear, but one theory is that excess insulin promotes cell growth. Another reason is that regular exercise boosts natural antioxidants, which kill free radicals that damage cells and cause cancer. The The American Cancer Society warns that sitting for over 6 hours a day can rapidly increase the risk of cancer for both men and women.
While these observational studies don’t prove a direct causation between standing and cancer prevention, there’s no harm in cultivating the healthy habit of standing regularly, at least as numerous studies have shown that sitting for prolonged periods of time increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. By reducing your sedentary time and increasing your standing time, you will ultimately lower your risk of these health issues and increase your life expectancy.
Promote Blood Circulation
When you choose to stand at your desk, your blood flow is better than when you sit. Sitting for long periods of time can slow down your blood circulation which can lead to many health issues like swollen ankles, blood clots, peripheral neuropathy, and varicose veins. Standing promotes better blood circulation in your extremities, so make sure you get up to stretch, stand, and move around throughout the day to keep yourself healthy.
The small movements of your hands and feet that accompany standing can get blood flowing to your brain, fueling your imagination and creativity.
Circulation is truly “zero health benefit” because it directly brings many other benefits. Almost every benefit mentioned in this article depends on blood circulation.
Health has always been an eternal topic of human beings. As an enterprise engaged in the ergonomics industry, AOKE has always put people’s health in the first place. In the new product iteration, we always strive to provide people with a healthier office lifestyle. Aoke’s mission is simple, to change people’s office environment and improve the health of office workers.
Conclusion
From the points listed, it’s clear that alternating between sitting and standing throughout your day is a necessity for a healthy lifestyle and mindset. By reducing the amount of time you spend sitting in your day, you’ll see a lot of benefits. If you are someone who spends most of the day working at a desk, then a standing desk is an extremely ergonomic solution that offers home and office workers a way to mitigate the health risks caused by prolonged sitting.
The Right Way to Stand
The transition from sitting to standing by using a height-adjustable desk is a scientifically proven way to help you practice a healthier lifestyle and be more active throughout the day.
Keep in mind that when we’re talking about using a standing desk, we’re not talking about standing all day. That would be a mistake, because standing all day is no better than sitting for eight hours or more, says Alan Hedge, a professor in the department of design and environment analysis at Cornell University. ”If what you’re doing is replacing sitting with standing, you’re not actually doing your body any favors,” he says. “In fact, you’re introducing a whole variety of new risk factors.” Such as inflammation of the legs, varicose veins. Rather than switching from one extreme to the other, find a balance between sitting and standing.
According to Professor Jack Callaghan at the University of Waterloo, you should sit and stand at your desk recommend a sit-to-stand ratio between 1:1 and 1:3. In other words, you should sit and stand for equal periods of time each day, or, at the highest ratio, sit for 15 minutes and stand for 45 minutes every hour.
By standing 15 minutes every hour, you’ll start to feel the benefits of a sit-stand lifestyle. What could be more valuable than the simple changes you make today that will improve your life and health for years to come in ways you never imagined possible?
If you’re considering switching to a standing desk, we recommend the Aoke Sit-Stand Desk, which allows you to easily adjust sit-stand alternations in a short amount of time. The adjustability of the desk frame and the choice of multiple types make the Aoke Sit-Stand Desk the perfect transition to standing. This will give your body time to adjust to the new position and allow you to start enjoying the benefits of standing right away.
Plus, like all of our products, it’s affordable! Whether for personal use or for an office with many employees, the Aoke Adjustable Desk is an excellent investment in your health and quality of life. When you’re ready, be sure to read our buying guide on how to choose the right standing desk. If you want to learn more about ergonomic standing desks, please contact us!