13 Feb 2018

The Health Benefits Of Using A Standing Desk At Work

The average office worker spends more than 5 hours each day sitting at their desk. Much of the research into the health issues caused by this trend have been spurred by James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic. In the past, the solution has been to head to the gym after work but research has suggested that this isn’t enough to counter the negative effects of extended sitting.

sit stand desk

 

The solution, then, is to incorporate standing desks into the workplace.

  • Reduced Risk of Obesity
    Research has found that spending a portion of the day standing instead of sitting can help you to burn more calories, allowing you to maintain your current weight or even lose weight. Finding excuses to get up – such as going to a coworker’s office instead of emailing them, or making trips to the printer as you go – can also help with this.
  • Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
    Some studies have found that extended periods of time is correlated with reduced effectiveness in regulating levels of glucose in the bloodstream. This is known as metabolic syndrome, which dramatically increases your chances of developed type 2 diabetes. By standing for part of the day, you can help to reduce fasting blood glucose levels.
  • Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
    Research has shown that adults who spend two more hours sitting per day have a 125% increased risk of developing health problems related to cardiovascular disease (such as chest pain and heart attacks). Even if you exercise regularly, you’re still more likely to experience heart failure than someone who regularly uses a standing desk at work.
  • Reduced Risk of Cancer
    A handful of studies have also suggested that extended periods of sitting could be linked with a higher risk of developing many forms of cancer. Breast and colon cancer appear to be the most influenced but lung, prostate, endometrial and ovarian cancers can also be affected. Standing for part of the day can help to reduce this.
  • Lower Long-Term Mortality Risk
    Due to all of the health benefits we have already touched on above, a number of studies have also found strong correlations between the amount of time a person spends sitting and their chances of dying within a given period of time. An extra hour spent sitting daily could increase your overall risk of dying within 7 years by 11%.

Most experts recommend splitting your time between standing and sitting, as spending all day doing just one of these things can lead to serious health problems (standing all day can lead to back, knee or foot problems). The easiest way of achieving both these things is using a standing desk, which will allow you to effortlessly move between standing and sitting positions.