The standing desk hype has passed, hasn’t it? For a while there, standing desks were promoted as the superior way of working. They were praised as the answer to avoiding chronic health problems, such as lower back pain and quickly made their way into our offices, remote working spaces, and homes.
But are standing desks worth it? While the initial hype of the standing desk has died down, they remain a popular choice for office workers. In this article, we will be sharing the benefits according to experts, so that you can make an informed decision.
To understand whether standing desks are worth the investment, you need to know the benefits. Let’s take a look at a couple below.
Back pain is one of the most common complaints amongst office workers. Everyone knows that sitting down for too long is bad for your back. It compresses your spine, puts pressure on the disks in your back and strains your muscles.
Standing regularly throughout the day is a great way to stretch your back, strengthen your muscles, and protect your spine. What’s more, standing engages your core which supports your spin more effectively, helping to prevent lower back pain.
While standing instead of sitting at your desk won’t burn many calories, it can help to boost your daily activity levels. Not only are you more likely to stretch and walk around your office space when you spend more time standing up, but you will also engage your core muscles and strengthen these over time.
Sitting for long periods of time can result in an inactive lifestyle. Inactivity can negatively impact your health and mental wellbeing. Therefore, making an effort to stand intermittently throughout the day is a great way to boost your daily activity levels, take care of your body, and stay motivated for longer.
You may not realise it, but sitting at your desk all day long can cause tension to build in your body. Tension build-up is caused by sitting for prolonged periods in one position and maintaining poor posture.
Working at a standing desk is a great way to relieve tension. By maintaining a standing position, you become more aware of any tension you are holding in your body. This will help you remember to roll your shoulders and stretch during the day so that you can stay relaxed, both physically and mentally, for longer.
If you’re a fan of The American Office, you’ll remember the scene where Dwight invests in a standing desk, claiming that standing is superior to sitting. As Dwight tells his co-workers, “Standing is proven to be healthier, increases productivity and just looks cooler. Picture someone doing something heroic. Now, was he sitting or standing?”
Although much of what Dwight says is for comedic effect, this comment hits the nail on the head. In fact, research suggests that standing “increases testosterone and decreases cortisol levels, the latter being associated with stress while the former promotes assertion, confidence, and comfort.”
So, if you need to boost your confidence for that presentation or reduce your stress about that upcoming meeting, a standing desk could be just what you need.
It goes without saying that sitting for long periods can make you feel drowsy. Your concentration can lag, you feel unmotivated, and time seems to slow to a crawl. We’ve all been there.
But did you know that switching to a standing desk can actually improve your concentration? Standing helps you feel more awake and alert so that you can perform better at work.
Long periods of inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle is bad for our bodies. The best way to look after yourself is to prioritise regular physical activity. However, when you work a desk job, staying active can be difficult. So, to help you out, we’ve shared a couple of tips below.
Alternate between sitting and standing: While it might be tempting to invest in a standing desk and spend as much of your time standing as possible, this can cause exhaustion and physical strain. The best thing you can do is strike a healthy balance. You should alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day to help fight off the effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
Take regular breaks: it is recommended that you get up from your desk every 20-30 minutes to stretch your legs and walk around. Just 5 minutes makes a difference. Small breaks like these, little and often, can help promote healthy habits that will boost your physical and mental wellbeing.
Maintain an exercise regime: you should partake in intensive exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Cardiovascular exercise such as running, cycling, and swimming is a great way to get your heart pumping and burn some calories. Regular movement is so important and it won’t just benefit your body, it will also improve your concentration and effectiveness at work.
While standing desks are a great investment, if your desk is only capable of holding one position, you won’t reap many benefits. That’s why you should choose our adjustable height desks.
Our standing desks offer seamless functionality so that you can work sitting down or standing up, depending on how you feel. Fully customisable and with an adjustable steel base, our standing desks are easy to use and made to last.
If you want to change up the way you work and take better care of your body, our adjustable height desks are the perfect solution. Shop now.
