The benefits of standing desks

Now that most businesses use a variety of different technologies, the workload has become easier to manage for most office workers. However, the main downside to this is they can spend hours sitting at their desk in front of a computer. Spending excessive time sitting has been shown by researchers to be bad for your health. But what is the answer? The amount of work completed on computers will increase and the problem will become worse. Part of the solution could be standing desks and here we are going to look at some of the benefits.

What are standing desks?

Standing desks, which are also sometimes called stand-up desks, are a workstation that allow a person to stand up comfortably while working. They are often adjustable to suit the person using them, and some can alternate between being a standing or sitting desk.

Standing for long periods has many health benefits for office workers. However, it is thought the ideal is to alternate between sitting and standing every half an hour or so, which is why adjustable standing desks can offer the perfect solution.

Health problems that can be avoided with standing desks

There is a whole list of health problems that can be caused by sitting down all day. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Organ damage such as to the heart, pancreas and colon. Our body burns less fat when we are inactive, and fats are more likely to build in the organs we do not want them to be in.
  • Muscle degeneration because of a lack of use and bad posture. Our lower body is particularly at risk in this situation, as without strong legs you are more at risk of injury.
  • Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent in people that sit down all day. This is because the cells in the body are slower to respond to insulin in an inactive person. Blood sugar levels are generally more stable in people that do not sit down all day.
  • Pain in the back, neck, shoulders and hips. Musculoskeletal pains are one of the main reasons for sick days from work and can be prevented.

Most specialists will say that people should not sit for long periods. They need to have regular breaks and move around to help prevent any of these problems occurring. For deskbound employees, they need to ensure they have regular exercise to help mitigate the problems associated with sitting down all day. They also need to know how to sit properly, as slouching over a desk is likely to make the issues worse.

How standing desks can help

A professor at the University of Waterloo has said research shows that people need to be standing for at least half of every hour to feel the health benefits. Those benefits arise because of the upright position of the body and because naturally, people will alternate between which foot takes the most weight. They will move their legs without even thinking about it, as well as their hips and the rest of their lower body.

Studies have also shown that standing to work increases your focus. Your brain is more alert in this position and your productivity is likely to rise. Workers seem happier at standing desks too. It is thought this is because standing desks help get rid of pent up energy and restlessness, which helps them to focus on the task in hand with less stress.

Weight gain is often a problem for people that are sitting all day and standing desks can help to relieve this problem.

Standing desks help promote longer life

With so many health problems associated with sitting down for long periods, such as heart disease and type two diabetes, it should be no surprise that anything that lowers the risk of these will promote a longer and healthier life.

Reducing sedentary time can improve physical well-being, metabolic rate and mental health. Although research is in its early days, so far it suggests that workers who use standing desks are healthier than those sitting at a desk all day.

If you want to help your workers live a healthier lifestyle, standing desks are just one of the things that can help.

Could standing desks be part of your office fit out?

Regardless of whether you are considering a full office fit out or just want to replace your office furniture, you should get in touch with Axis Office Fit Out. As part of the Axis Group, our team is dedicated to creating an office that is perfect for your needs. They will help you to make your office the right place for your business as well as being a pleasant environment for your employees.

It is common knowledge that a happy workforce is a more productive workforce. To achieve this, it’s important you have the right design to start with. We can assist you from the start to finish of your office fit out project, ensuring as little disruption as possible to your business. Whether standing desks are part of your vision or not, we are here to help and all you need do is give us a call on 01524 0989 or email us at [email protected].

You will find our team to be a friendly bunch who will chat through your plans to find out what you envisage and then let you know their ideas too. The way forward with an office fit out is to have a plan in place before any work starts, including colour schemes, flooring and furniture. You need to know if you want to change the lighting, if you want blinds at windows, and if you would like some standing desks included in the office furniture. But there is much more to designing an office fit out than colours and fixtures and this is where our experts excel.

You have nothing to lose by giving us a call so why not pick up that phone now?