With many Americans working from home during this time, a standing desk is a smart way to keep in shape. Here are 10 benefits of a standing desk that would make you hop to your nearest furniture store to get one!
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Sitting for long hours is worse than smoking. With that being said, most of us are spending a large portion of our lives sitting in front of a laptop and clearly, not getting enough activity.
Studies have shown that sitting at one place for hours leads to an increased risk of heart diseases, diabetes, and other chronic issues.
Thankfully, standing desks are a great way to burn calories and lose weight without leaving work or getting into strenuous workout activities. So, what are the good sides of using a standing desk? We’ll find out in this article.
What Is a Standing Desk?
A standing desk, also referred to as a stand-up desk, allows you to stand up comfortably as you work in front of your laptop.
Also known as height-adjustable desks or sit-stand desks, these modern weight-loss tools will enable you to make adjustments in their height as per your comfort and liking in a way that you can either stand or sit while working.
Thus, adjustable standing desks are becoming increasingly popular with time and have endless benefits. Even though the research on their advantages is still limited, people are getting the best out of their long working hours by burning calories through this trend.
Types of Standing Desks
The basic idea behind every standing desk is the same- it allows you to work comfortably while making height adjustments, so you can work while standing, of course, whenever you want.
Even though the primary function of standing desks is identical, you can choose from a variety of products that are available in the market –
- Fixed-height desks to suit your height,
- Sit-stand desks to help you sit or stand based on your mood,
- Power sit-stand desks that quickly go up with the push of a button attached to them,
- Manually-worked desks that require to be raised with the help of a lever or crank or a handle.
You can choose the one that suits your needs the best. You can buy the standing desks online as well as offline. Most people usually buy the electric desk that only requires pushing the button to make adjustments rather than those that need to be handled manually.
Ten Significant Standing Desk Benefits
Standing desks are a great way to bring small changes in your routine to get close to a fit body. It is better to do something every day than nothing to keep your body happy and healthy, and standing at a desk is a great way to start the same!
So, what are the significant benefits of using a standing desk? Let’s find out.
Burn calories and reduction in weight
This is no secret that moving your body all day burns calories and helps reduce weight. However, if you do not find time to exercise or even move your body because of work commitments, a standing desk is an excellent option for you because anything is better than sitting!
According to a study, an equal amount spent standing in comparison to an afternoon of desk-bound work showed burning of at least 170 additional calories; this means that if you continue standing up while working over a week, you would burn about 1000 calories – how cool is that!
Improvement in back posture and reduced pain
Several studies have shown that standing up desks have contributed to reducing the back pain of people who sit in front of their laptops or computers over a prolonged period.
According to this study, it was observed that around 32% improvement was reported in the back region of the participants after a few weeks of using standing desks.
Apart from relief in back pain and stiffness, people have improved back posture. It is challenging to keep your spine straight in a seated position since your muscles relax, and thus, you get comfortable.
This negatively affects your neck and back posture. However, when you stand up and adjust yourself according to the laptop, you have a chance to improve your posture and reduce back pain.
Increased productivity
As per this study, 60 young office employees used a stand-up desk for 4 hours and showed no significant error in typing. The study was done to clear the concern of some people who thought that working while standing can hinder daily tasks, such as typing.
It can be said that working on a stand-up desk can boost productivity, considering it improves mood and creates high energy in the individual. Many people reckon that standing desk has helped them improve their performance since it increases blood flow, burns calories, and control mood swings.
Possibility of lower blood sugar levels
According to a study done by Occupational and Environmental Medicine, it was observed that the blood glucose level was reduced by 43% in those who stood for hours in comparison to those who remained seated at one place for prolonged hours.
The idea is that your blood sugar level should not increase after meals since it is unhealthy for your body, significantly if you have type 2 diabetes. It has been shown and proven over and over that excessive sitting in the same position for hours increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 112%.
Lowered risk of heart disease
All of us are aware that standing or moving is suitable for a healthy heart and thus, using a stand-up desk lowers the risk of cardiovascular or heart disease. As per this study, seated bus conductors were at higher risk of heart disease than the ones who did their job standing all day.
When you stand for prolonged hours, it also improves the blood flow in your body and thus reduces the risk of blood clots, which affects the health of your heart. Therefore, it is essential to remain standing for several hours during your work time.
Improved mood and high energy level
Do you know that standing up has more than physical benefits? Yes, working while on your feet increases energy level, boosts mood, and increases satisfaction at the workplace. Many people reckon that working on stand up-desks has helped them grow their perspective while also giving better performance at work.
Studies have also shown that people have improved their anxiety, stress, and depression levels after working while standing instead of sitting. Thus, standing desks assure increased positive thoughts, better performance, and improved mental health.
Extended longevity
We already know that sitting in one place for long hours can lead to risks of heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic illnesses – this means that one may not live for long with an unhealthy body. With the help of standing desks, this risk can be reduced.
Studies have shown that those who sit for long hours are more exposed to the risk of dying earlier than those who pose the least. This study observed that people who were used to sitting for long hours had a 49% greater risk of losing their lives than those who moved frequently.
Another study observed that reducing sitting time to 3 hours daily can increase average life expectancy by two years in Americans. Now you can quickly establish the link between working on a standing desk and extending longevity.
Increased focus and concentration
Research says that 71% of people who used standing desks felt more focused than sitting on a chair. The improved focus and increased concentration can improve blood flow throughout the body leads to high energy levels and thus, boosts positive mood. A happy thought leads to a happy brain and better focus and concentration.
Overall improvement of health
With the overall health improvement, we mean reduced stress levels, less anxiety, better mood, and lesser chances of catching a disease or chronic illness.
A sedentary lifestyle can increase your chances of poor health and expose you to unwanted conditions, including cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart attacks, poor blood circulation, high cholesterol, weaker bones, stressed muscles, swollen ankles, mood swings, heart diseases, etc.
When you use standing desks, you choose a better lifestyle over sitting for long hours, and even though it doesn’t require much effort, it still is better than not moving at all.
Heightened creativity
It has also been observed that moving your body or simply standing on your feet gets your blood pumping to the point that creative ideas start flowing in your brain.
People have watched that standing heightens their creativity during brainstorming sessions and meetings with clients. Believe it or not, standing desks improve careers and make people win at work.
Now, what are you waiting for?
Wrapping up
Standing desks are trendy and significant for working people in America. You can choose to continue sitting for long hours and ignore your body, or you can make a conscious decision and move forward with a better body, mind, and lifestyle simply by standing up on your desk while working. So, go ahead, and make the change, so your new lifestyle can fit in your workplace.
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