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The popularity of sit-stand desks and the standing workstations is booming right now. If you are currently sitting at your desk and you do it for the whole day, chances are that you are affecting your health adversely. People who sit for prolonged periods have an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The Benefits of a Sit-Stand Desk
What is a standing desk? It allows you to stand comfortably as you work. The modern version of this desk is adjustable, meaning that you can change its height in addition to alternating between sitting and standing. Here are the benefits of using this desk.
Lowers Your Risk of Obesity
Weight gain is the result of consuming more calories than you burn. On the other hand, when your body burns more calories than you consume, it results in weight loss. Although exercise is the best way to burn excess calories, choosing to stand instead of sitting all day can be beneficial.
In fact, compared to a lazy afternoon of sitting down, standing has been shown to burn an additional 170 calories. This is more than 1000 calories per week just from standing at your desk. This difference can be one of the reasons that sitting is strongly linked to obesity.
Lowers Blood Sugar Levels
The more your blood sugar goes up after you eat, the worse it is for your health. This is particularly true for persons with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance. The hazardous effects of sitting after consuming a meal can help in explaining why excess sitting is linked to 112 percent greater risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
Lowers Your Risk of Heart Disease
The idea that standing up is better for the health of your heart was first discovered in 1993. A study showed that bus conductors had half the risk of heart disease as bus drivers. Sitting is so harmful that even an hour of intense exercising cannot make up for its negative effects, leaving no doubt that spending time on your feet is beneficial for your heart.
Reduces Back Pain
For people who sit all day at work, back pain is the most common complaint. To determine whether using a standing desk will alleviate it, you should stand for several hours a day. In one study, participants reported a 32 percent improvement in lower back pain after using the standing desk for several weeks. Additionally, the removal of the sit-stand desk reversed the improvements in 2 weeks.
Improves Mood and Energy Levels
Standing desks usually have a positive effect on your general well being. In a certain study, the participants using standing desks appeared less stressed and fatigued than their seated counterparts. Additionally, upon returning to their old desks, these employees’ moods reverted to their previous levels. Increased sedentary time is also linked to higher levels of depression and anxiety.
Boosts Productivity
The most common concern of using this desk is that it hinders daily work tasks, including typing. Although standing every afternoon takes some getting used to, sit stand desks do not have any significant impact on ordinary work tasks. Since standing boosts energy and mood, this desk is more likely to boost productivity levels rather than hinder them.
Lengthens Your Life-Span
Several studies have linked early death to increased sitting time. This should not come as a surprise given that sitting has also been linked to high blood sugar, increased risk of heart disease, and obesity.
Therefore, if you decide to buy a standing desk, you could be improving your overall health. Remember that a weekend of exercising cannot undo the damage caused by a whole week of sitting.
Images Courtesy of Canva.
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About the Author: Patricia Davis Brown
