What Are the Benefits of a Standing Desk? Epic Office Break Down the Health Benefits of Standing Desks in the Office.
Over the years, the average workplace has made various adaptations to align with how people work in corporate environments. However, aside from the addition of technological advancements in an office, the set-up and structure of most office spaces remains relatively similar to what it would have looked like fifty years ago. Wherever you go, offices will still have employees seated at their desks; where they will likely remain for the entirety of their working days.
Office chairs have advanced dramatically – the modern office now brandishes ergonomic designs, with lumbar support and additional cushioning. However, the problem with office environments lies within the fact that employees spend eight hours sitting down, either looking at a computer screen or paperwork. The last few years of ergonomic research has revealed some astonishing developments in the impact of sedentary behaviour and how it can affect your health. Being seated at a desk all day won’t just contribute to a sore back; sitting for such long hours is fast becoming a leading cause for adult obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle diseases.
The Health Risks of Sitting at A Desk All Day
According to an ABS National Health Survey, 43.7% of adults aged 18-64 years admitted that their day at work consists of mostly sitting. The same study revealed that 44.6% of adults surveyed were not undertaking 150 minutes or more in weekly exercise. Given that we are spending so much of our lives seated, making improvements to our health can be as simple as making changes to the way we work and using a standing desk.
What Are the Benefits of a Standing Desk?
Height-adjustable desks are a fantastic solution for anyone who works in a corporate, commercial or office workspace. Breaking up the workday with height adjustable desks is just one simple step employers can take to combat the negative effects of sedentary working set-ups. But what are the health benefits of a standing desk? As Australia’s leading supplier of office furniture and office desks, Epic Office Furniture are here to reveal the many health benefits of a standing desk set up in the office.
What Are the Health Benefits of Standing Desks?
Increased Productivity When Standing
One of the main health benefits of standing desks is that employees are more productive while standing. If you’re an employer and wondering “what are the benefits of a standing desk?” this statement alone should make you rethink your workplace structure.
We are more alert when standing, standing is naturally associated with “doing” or being productive. While sitting down is something that we often do when we need to relax. Whether subconsciously or consciously, when you’re standing, you’re telling your body and mind to prepare for action.
When compared to sitting, standing up allows the heart to pump blood around the body and to the brain more effectively. There are a few different factors that cause circulation to decrease while sitting; the problem stems from limited mobility while sitting, meaning there is less demand on the circulatory system. And so, the standing position allows the circulatory system to pump blood to the brain and muscles more efficiently. The constant supply of blood to the brain helps in concentration and supports increased productivity while working.
Standing Relieves Back Pain
The most significant of health risks of sitting at desk all day is strain on the body. One of the most widely experienced problems while working in an office is back pain and discomfort. Being seated all day in the wrong position can put strain on the neck, back and shoulders. In particular, sitting down for long periods of time puts significant pressure on the lower back, causing the surrounding muscles to seize up when uncomfortable.
A health benefit of a standing desk is the reduction in pressure on the spine and neck. With the ability to change a desk from a seated to a standing position, employees have the opportunity to both alleviate and prevent back pain. Standing for just one hour a day can significantly reduce back pain caused by the pressure of sitting down for long periods.
Standing Reduces Risk of Poor Health
The health benefits of standing desks can be day and night when compared to sitting all day. Generally speaking, you move more while standing up than sitting down. When sitting, you only engage a few muscles in the body, which over time, can cause your body’s metabolism to slow. If your metabolism slows, it means that you aren’t burning as many calories as you would be if you were standing or moving around.
Standing engages more muscles than sitting, increases mobility, and as mentioned above, increases blood circulation. These factors help increase your metabolism and burn more calories. While the calories burnt may only seem minimal while standing; however, when you accumulate the days and weeks over a year, it adds up. Standing for 3 hours a day can contribute to burning up to over 30,000 calories a year, which is the equivalent of approximately 10 marathons.
Increased mobility in the office can reduce the risk of heart disease. Sitting all day increases one’s risk of heart disease; so much so, that one hour of intense exercise won’t negate the effects of such sedentary behaviour. There are many studies that link a sedentary lifestyle to increased risk of heart disease. Limiting the amount of time spent at work sitting by standing can significantly reduce the risk of coronary and heart diseases from developing, making it one of the major health benefits of standing desks.
Standing at work will also lower blood sugar levels, especially after a meal. Dramatic increases in blood sugar put a person at high risk of becoming diabetic. There are a lot of studies that have been conducted to reveal the benefits of standing desk health, in regard to blood sugar levels. Standing periodically through the day and after meals is proven to reduce blood sugar level fairly dramatically. Having a height adjustable desk makes mobility easy and accessible for employees.
Standing Improves Mental Health and Energy Levels
One of the major health risks of sitting at office desks all day is the impact on mental wellbeing. If you’re sceptical of standing desks and are still asking “what are the benefits of a standing desk?”, consider your mental health. Through various studies, a sedentary lifestyle has also been linked to increased risk of depression and anxiety. It stands to reason that if you are sitting for 8 hours a day, your risk of experiencing poor mental health is higher when compared to sitting and standing periodically throughout the day. Often overlooked when talking about stand up desk health benefits as it is hard to measure at an office level; improving mental health and energy levels can exponentially increase office productivity.
What Are the Health Benefits of Standing Desks?
Still wondering “what are the benefits of standing desks?” The benefits of standing at a standing desk are only now becoming widely understood. To summarise, reducing the time spent sitting at work can:
- Improve overall physical health: standing periodically throughout the day or for as little as 1 hour a day will increase your overall physical health.
- Reduces stress and improve mental wellbeing: standing has been proven to reduce stress and increase mental wellbeing, which leads to increased productivity and positivity at work.
- Reduce back pain: a standing desk relieves pressure on the back from long hours of sitting. Increased mobility will also reduce strain on the lower back, neck and shoulders.
If you’re looking to provide a comfortable and tailored workstation in the office, purchasing a height adjustable desk is the perfect solution. Height adjustable desks are simple and straightforward, allowing employees to move from sitting to standing and back again. At Epic Office Furniture, we stock a wide range of standing, height adjustable, electric standing desks and ergonomic desks. If you’ve gotten to the bottom of this article and are only just understanding what are the benefits of a standing desk, you can check out our full range of height adjustable designs to learn more.
Height adjustable desks are excellent, versatile pieces of office furniture that offer unparalleled functionality and standing desk health in the office. Rather than having a standing or sitting desk, a height adjustable office desk allows the employee to manoeuvre their workstation to suit their individual needs throughout the day. This has now been made even easier with the addition of electric height adjustable desks. Check out our full range of height adjustable, electronically adjustable and ergonomic desks today at Epic Office Furniture.
Nice article, increasing health realted issues at work is one of the primary concern that a company should look upon,from pandemic to homebase and now back to regular work that seems to be undeneable fact that workplace must create a reactive solution and a good standing desk can help your workforce balance work and healthy life.