Workplaces around the globe are beginning to take a stand against sitting. It’s little wonder when you hear what the various scientific studies have to say about the negative effects of sitting for too many hours a day. Did you know that standing up when working can have a positive impact on your health? Without further ado, let’s take a look at 7 reasons you should use a standing desk at work.
- Better posture
Some office workers develop poor posture over time. That’s not surprising considering the many hours spent slumped over a desk. Needless to say, it’s not good for your posture! Maintaining good posture is easier to do when standing. A standing desk can help correct poor posture, particularly when used in conjunction with an anti-fatigue mat. The great thing about an anti-fatigue mat is that it helps evenly distribute your weight while also supporting your legs, knees and your spine! Correcting poor posture leads us to another reason to stand up while working…
- Goodbye to back problems
Poor posture provides bad back aches. Having to hunch over to type and lean forward to better see your monitor isn’t doing your back (or your eyesight!) any favors. If you’re correcting your posture by using a standing desk, it makes sense that you can help rid yourself of those unnecessary aches and pains. In fact, you can go one better than this by using an anti-fatigue mat. Some of the very best mats available are made from PU foam which provides softness, stability and support. This takes the pressure off your back and legs, allowing you to work more comfortably than if you were standing on a more typical, harder surface.
- Burn calories and lose weight
It doesn’t take a scientist to know that if you’re sitting down, you’re not burning too many calories! And when we spend so much time sitting down every day be it in the car, at mealtimes or when watching TV, it’s not hard to see why obesity is a growing problem. Studies show that those who stand when working burn more calories. Exercise may be the most effective way to quickly burn calories, but standing instead of sitting for even half of the working day can help you burn over 100 additional calories. Add that up over the course of weeks and months and it quickly becomes an impressive number!
- Be happy
Better posture, less aches and pains and burning calories are just some of the reasons to use a standing desk when working. As a result of these positives, you may well find working a happier experience. A 2011 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that workers experienced improved mood states when provided a standing desk. Several studies such as this have shown that workers who turned to standing desks experienced an improvement in mood. It’s believed that such better moods are thanks to experiencing less discomfort from prolonged sitting. It could also be due to strengthened relationships with colleagues who are also in standing positions at the same eye-level.
- Increase productivity
We can connect the improved mood of standing workers to better posture, fewer back pains and more calories burned. In turn, we can see that the increased productivity reported by several studies could well be as a result of a happier workforce. If you’re in a good mood, productivity tends to spike. This could in part be down to the sense of urgency that you feel when standing up. After all, sitting down is often associated with relaxation. The increased productivity ties in to an increase in energy. By using a standing desk, it’s possible to avoid those familiar dips of energy in the late morning and mid-afternoon.
- Lengthen your life
It might sound quite the leap to say that using a standing desk can lengthen your life. However it’s well known that sitting too much increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The average office worker spends between 8-12 hours per day sitting down, whether it’s in front of the office computer or on the sofa at home. Being able to cut down your sitting time by just 3 hours per day could lengthen your life by 2 years, according to a 2012 study on Sedentary behavior and life expectancy in the USA. If that doesn’t motivate you then we don’t know what will! (Actually, number 7 might!)
- You’ll be in good company
There’s no doubt that standing desks are increasing in popularity. Companies such as Facebook Google and AOL offer all of their employees access to standing desks. In fact, they each have hundreds of employees using them on a daily basis. But standing desks have long existed before the days of Silicon Valley. Did you know that standing desks were used by Winston Churchill, Leonardo Da Vinci and Ernest Hemingway to name a few? Quite the company indeed!
So there you have it – 7 reasons you should use a standing desk at work. Remember that by combining your standing desk with the Stuff4Homes Anti-Fatigue Mat, you can increase your comfort level as you burn calories, increase productivity and much more! Try to look for an Anti-Fatigue Comfort Mat that has made from quality PU foam, is anti-slip and water resistant for the best possible standing experience.
