Why You Need to Transition to a Standing Desk, Now!

Why You Need to Transition to a Standing Desk, Now!

the best standing desk

See What Health Benefits You’re Missing Out On Without A Standing Desk

Standing desks are finally starting to catch on in the workplace and it’s about time. The health benefits gained are well worth the cost of a height-adjustable desk. In this article, I provide a summary of the research and explain why I think The VARIDESK is the best height-adjustable standing desk on the market.

When I was a student in physical therapy school, I always wondered why we didn’t have standing desks in our classrooms. After all, physical therapists are a profession meant to promote health and wellness. Of course we were standing during lab sessions, but much of the time was spent sitting at desks listening to lectures. There were some semesters we had 32 hours of class time each week. That’s a lot of sitting. I used to stand in the back of lectures and put my chair on the desk to use it as a standing desk. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it sure made me feel better. At first, people poked fun at my makeshift standing desk. But eventually, it caught on. Before long, there was a group of us who would stand in the back of class with our chairs on our desks taking notes during lecture. We all noticed that after a long day of class our joints felt better, our muscles didn’t feel as tight, and most importantly, we had more energy.

The Problem

Americans today are more sedentary than ever before and over 80% of adults do not meet the nation’s minimum aerobic and resistance training guidelines.Although there are many factors that play into a sedentary lifestyle, occupation tends to have a large impact because of the amount of sitting that is often associated with the workplace. Two thirds North American workers sit for the majority of their day, and most work at a computer.2 Many of these people who sit for the majority of the day tend to develop back pain and neck pain. One way to prevent against prolonged sitting in the workplace is by moving away from the traditional desk and implementing a sit to stand workstation. There is plenty of research to support the value of sit to stand workstations and their positive health benefits.3  I’ve provided a nice summary of the research below.

Metabolic Effects of Sitting Versus Standing

Posture has a huge impact on your overall health. Periods of prolonged sitting have been shown to have negative metabolic effects on the body.3-6 One study looking at the difference in caloric expenditure between sitting at a desk versus standing at a desk showed that subjects burned 0.34 kcal/min more while standing compared to sitting.6 This translates into about 20kcal/hour extra from seated to standing which can have a huge impact on someone who spends the majority of their day in a chair. One reason for this energy expenditure difference is because the postural muscles have to work harder while standing to keep the body upright.7,8 Continuous firing of the lower limb postural muscles throughout the day plays a major role in clearing triglycerides and glucose from the blood which are the building blocks of fat deposition.5 On the contrary, prolonged sitting decreases the production of important enzymes such as lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which is responsible for breaking down fatty acids in the blood.8 Some studies have  shown as much as a 10-fold decrease in LPL activity.3 This reduction in LPL activity leads to elevated fatty acids in the blood, making the person more likely to deposit fat stores.8 However, even taking a short break to stand has been shown to negate this decline in LPL activity.8 Short breaks from sitting (regardless of the amount of physical activity during the break) can also significantly lower the high glucose and insulin levels that are experienced after a meal.4 This is important because if these post-meal spikes go unmanaged, they can create oxidative stress on the endothelial cells which can lead to cardiovascular complications such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.With that said, it is not only the total amount of sedentary time that elicits negative metabolic effects, but also the frequency of interruptions to sedentary time.5

Acceptance Rates of Standing Desks

One challenge presented with integrating sit to stand workstations into the workplace is the resistance people feel toward the idea of change.  However, one qualitative study that implemented sit to stand desks in the workplace found that many people who were originally not enthusiastic about the idea but decided to try it, actually ended up enjoying the desks.9 The participants in that particular group eventually committed to using the desks on a daily basis either because they felt more productive, experienced more energy, or claimed that the desk had helped to relieve a prior health issue they were experiencing.9 The acceptance of sit to stand workstations was supported in another study in which 70% of participants preferred sit/stand workstations as opposed to only sitting or only standing.8 Similar results were obtained in a worksite that reduced overall sitting time at work by 21%, leading to an increase in overall activity at work for the employees.7 The employees also reported an increased overall sense of well-being, increased energy level, and less of a feeling of tiredness and sluggishness.7

Improved Sense of Well-Being

People who remain sedentary for most of the day are at a higher risk for health complications than people who are less sedentary, even when they perform the same amount of physical activity.7  Of all the people who use computers at their jobs, 50% experience some sort of musculoskeletal disorder symptoms.One systematic review found that employees with sit to stand workstations who took more breaks from sitting at the computer reported significant improvements in symptoms of musculoskeletal discomfort.8 A standing desk can allow you to perform light stretching exercises while working, which leads to improvements in employee productivity and comfort.8 Some of the workplace exercises include simple stretches, rolling the shoulders backward, and even just turning the head from side to side.10 Workstation exercises such as these can be performed throughout the day to increase overall physical activity level, which is associated with improved health and quality of life.1

Why I Use and Recommend The VARIDESK

I have tested several different standing desks and the VARIDESK – Height-Adjustable Standing Desk, is by far the most user friendly and adaptable. I highly recommend it to everyone. If you’ve been contemplating getting a height-adjustable standing desk, this is the one for you. Here is a look at my home workstation.

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Features I like about The VARIDESK

  • 5 star reviews on Amazon out of 1,140 reviews
  • It ships for free and is easy to set up
  • It can support 35lbs (which is more than you would ever need on your desk)
  • It has an upper level for your monitor and a lower level for keyboard and mouse
  • It is easy to adjust by just grabbing the handles
  • The locking mechanism is flawless and sturdy

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Need Help Choosing The Right Standing Desk?

There’s a great Seattle-based company called Reviews.com that recently put together an excellent review of different standing desks. They spent six weeks researching 67 desks, testing nine, finding top picks and runner ups, as well as creating tips on why a standing desk can improve your health! Check out the full review here!

If buying a standing workstation is something you’ve already been thinking about doing but just haven’t gone through with, do it now. You’ll be glad you did. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to share. Also, if you know anyone else who may be interested in transitioning to a stand up work station, share this article with them to point them in the right direction!


 

References

  1. Physical Activity. Healthy People 2020. http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=33 Updated September 13, 2014. Accessed September 13, 2014.
  1. Fenety A, Walker JM. Short-term effects of workstation exercises on musculoskeletal discomfort and postural changes in seated video display unit workers. J Phys Ther. 2002; 82: 578-589.
  1. Manns PJ, Dunstan DW, Owen N, Healy GN. Addressing the nonexercise part of the activity continuum: a more realistic approach to activity programming for adults with mobility disability? J Phys Ther. 2012; 92:614-625. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20110284
  1. Dunstan DW, Kingwell BA, Larsen R, Healy GN, et al. Breaking up prolonged sitting reduces postprandial glucose and insulin responses. Diabetes Care. 2012; 35(5): 976-83. doi: 10.2337/dc11-1931
  1. Healy GN, Dunstan DW, Salmon J, Cerin E, et al. Breaks in sedentary time: beneficial associations with metabolic risk. Diabetes Care. 2008; 31(4): 661-6. doi: 10.2337/dc07-2046
  1. Reiff C, Marlatt K, Dengel DR. Difference in caloric expenditure in sitting versus standing desks. JPAH. 2012; 9: 1009-1011.
  1. Dutta N, Koepp GA, Stovitz SD, Levine JA, et al. Using sit-stand workstations to decrease sedentary time in office workers: a randomized crossover trial. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2014; 11: 6653-6665; doi:10.3390/ijerph110706653
  1. Healy GN, Lawler SP, Thorp A, Neuhaus M, et al. Reducing prolonged sitting in the workplace (An evidence review: full report). Melbourne, Australia: Victorian Health Promotion Foundation; 2012.
  1. Grunseit AC, Chau JY, van der Ploeg HP, Bauman A. “Thinking on your feet”: a qualitative evaluation of sit-stand desks in an australian workplace. BMC Public Health. 2013; 13:365.
  1. Workplace Wellness. Move Forward PT: American Physical Therapy Association. http://www.moveforwardpt.com/Resources/Detail.aspx?cid=60640713-eb92-4fca-81ee-7b371ef0c209#.VBecUJRdX9M Updated 2014. Accessed September 14, 2014.

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