We’re living in an age where much emphasis is placed on health and wellness. Restaurants have healthier, organic food on their menu, cleaning products are being made with fewer or no chemicals, and the fitness industry is booming. Much research has gone into this, and hence people want to, whenever possible, choose the healthier option with the most benefits to their bodies. For this reason, standing desks came into existence. One cannot avoid going to work every day, but you can get more out of your day, health-wise, by simply changing your desk. Let’s go through some reasons why it’s a fantastic invention that could impact your life.
Benefits of a standing desk
Lower risk of weight gain and obesity
Research has shown that sitting for hours at a time has been associated with weight gain and obesity. In general, weight gain is caused by the imbalance between the number of calories we consume versus the amount burned by the body. The higher the calorie intake, the more your body needs to burn. Sitting does not assist the body in burning many calories. By standing instead of sitting, you can burn an average of 50 calories an hour more than you would if you remained sedentary. If you stood for four hours of your workday you would burn over 1000 additional calories a week without even hitting the gym. You wouldn’t have to stand all day though, as these desks have swivel seats that you could use as well.
Lower blood sugar levels
It has been said that people who sit for long periods of time are at a higher risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. In an office environment, people spend an average of six hours a day sitting at a desk. The long term effects of this can be detrimental to your health and possibly irreversible. Blood sugar levels increase after a meal, the more they increase, the worse it is for your health, possibly resulting in diabetes. A study was done, which showed that by standing instead of sitting for 180 minutes after lunch, the sugar spike decreased by 43 percent. Also, alternating between sitting and standing every 30 minutes throughout your workday reduced blood sugar levels by 11.1 percent.
Benefits of a standing desk
Reduce back pain and improve mood
A common complaint by people who sit at a desk all day is that of back pain. Good posture is also another issue. By standing at your desk, you can position your screen at eye level so there would be no slouching or hunching over while you use your keyboard. In so doing, you will eliminate backache and neck tension. Thereafter, you will start to feel your overall mood change for the better. A study was done where participants were provided standing desks to use for four weeks. At the end of this trial period, the participants stated that their comfort levels increased, they felt more energized, healthier, more focused, more productive, less stressed, and ultimately happier. Interestingly, after they returned to their normal desks, they reported that their mood and energy levels deteriorated.
By simply standing for just 30 minutes at a time while working, it can have a major impact on your health and body. These standing desks are height adjustable, which means they would be suitable for you whether you’re tall or short. Stand-up desks, height-adjustable desks, or sit-stand desks, whatever you want to call them, get one, and you’ll never look back.
