10 Surprising Health Benefits of Standing Desks

Standing desks are exactly what they sound like: they are desks you work on while you’re standing. At first glance, there is nothing more to them, but they can help you live a healthy life in many ways.

You might think that standing up while working seems inconvenient but most standing desks have an ergonomic design so that the posture you take on while working on the desk helps you improve your health instead of tiring you out. If you have trouble standing up for a long time, you can get a sit-stand desk instead. A sit-stand desk enables you to sit or stand while working by adjusting the height of the desk, depending on what you feel like doing.

We’ve been rambling about the benefits of a standing desk for a long time now, let’s discuss what these benefits are:

Reduces Levels of Obesity

We know how massive the problem of obesity is all over the world. Obesity is such a significant issue lately because of the complex fats and carbs we consume on the daily, and when intake of this food combines with a sedentary lifestyle, it brings forth the advent of obesity in a person.

In such a lifestyle, it is important to incorporate elements that keep you healthy without causing too much inconvenience, and standing desks are just that. Standing burns 50 calories an hour so if you work for eight hours, you can burn around 400 extra calories every day. Even if you are using a sit-stand desk, you can still burn approximately 200 extra calories without putting in too much work.

Since the rule of weight loss says that you need to burn more calories than you take in every day, you probably have your fix right here.

Eliminates Shoulder and Neck Pain

Sitting for extended time periods often causes a lot of strain on our neck and shoulders. Knots of tension build up in these muscles, and they cause discomfort to no end. Most people get expensive therapeutic massages or take breaks to stretch out between their working times which can cause an interruption in their workflow.

A cheaper and effective solution to this problem is the use of standing desks. Standing straight does not cause any strain on your neck and shoulders, especially if your posture is correct. So buying a standing desk may help you out if you suffer from this problem.

Relieves Stress on the Back

Sitting in one position for a long time is also detrimental for the back, especially the lower back. The only way to support your back fully on a chair is if it has lumbar support and all chairs do not have in-built lumbar support.  You can check ergonomic computer chair. These are the best chairs while working in an office or at home.

If you can’t find a comfortable chair, then a standing desk could be a beneficial alternative to this problem as well. Standing straight will keep your spine in the most optimal shape, and any prospect of lower back issues will be eliminated.

Improves Focus

Sitting for a long time causes you to lose focus on the tasks at hand eventually. People end up getting distracted by the tiniest of stimulants and often doze off on their desks as well, especially if the position is too comfortable.

Standing puts you out of your comfort zone and forces you to focus on your work. It is more or less impossible to doze off while standing, but it is also quite challenging to fidget and be distracted by small stimulants.

Increases Activity Throughout the Day

It is much easier to move around your office or workspace or go for a short burst of exercise after some time while you are standing because you don’t have to put effort into changing your position.

When people sit down to work, they often keep sitting for very long time periods because it takes some effort for them to get out of their comfort zone and do something active.

This increase in activity helps in keeping lethargy and many health conditions away from you, and you find that your days are generally more productive than they used to be.

Keeps You Energetic Through the Day         

We mentioned before how standing helps you burn fifty calories per hour which means that more energy is being released in your body per hour than it would be while you are sitting. You can use this energy in your daily tasks to be more productive throughout the day. When you are standing you are literally on your feet at all times, so your body keeps releasing energy for you to perform your daily tasks with ease. As soon as you sit down, your body begins to feel as if your leisure time has started and it no longer releases the same amount of energy.

Lowers Risk of Heart Disease

Heart diseases occur in people with sedentary lifestyles who have arteries that full of cholesterol.

When you switch to a more active lifestyle, the cholesterol in your arteries detoxifies, and the chances of you contracting heart diseases lowers as well.

May Help the Knees in Bearing Weight

Your knees are solid joints, but they need to get used to bearing your weight. Standing up for extended time periods helps them do just that. People who have sedentary lifestyles have knees that are not privy to carrying their weight. So when they have to stand for lengthy periods, their knees often give in under pressure, and this situation holds especially true for people who are obese or overweight.

Regulates Blood Sugar

Research has also shown that standing can help with controlling our blood sugar which is great for healthy people but especially good news for people with diabetes.

Paves the Way for a Healthier Future

It may seem like a stretch when you think that something as small a standing desk can have such a magnanimous impact on our lives but these small differences are all we need. We live in a world full of instant gratification, and maximum convenience and the best way to promote general overall health in a community is by instilling small difference like a standing desk.

Author Bio:

Hannah is an interior designer by profession, and she knows all the ins and outs of using the right quality of the furniture and accessories for home decor and workplace. She is also a blogger who loves to write about the home and office maintenance tips and tricks. Read more about her posts at ergoedge.co.