To make a living, one had to hunt, work in the fields, on a farm, or in a factory until a few decades ago. With the advent of technology, everything has changed. The issue is that employees spend more than a few hours performing routine tasks. As a result, it is highly important that their bodies feel relaxed and comfortable throughout the workday. And a standing desk can help you with that.
The average office worker spends 40 hours a week sitting at a desk. And this is 1920 hours a year or 80 days. And that is not counting the time people sit at the dinner table, on the bench in the park, at the movies, or on the couch in front of the TV. Often, people cross their legs, hunch their backs, or even slide out of their chairs and recline at the computer. All this increases the risk of headaches, spinal problems, thrombosis, diabetes, and obesity.
An adjustable table has a special design and mechanism that changes its height. Thanks to the manual movement of the tabletop or the presence of a special electric drive, the standing desk frame in Canada can be used in different positions – both sitting and standing. With the help of a universal desktop, an office worker can alternate the positions of his body, because sitting all the time is known to be unhealthy.
Top Five Reasons Why You Might Need a Standing Desk
One has collected the top five reasons to replace your ordinary office desk with a new one – with a lifting mechanism.
1. Increased Caloric Expenditure
Studies show that standing up burns 170 more calories during a full day of work. It’s about the same as an hour and a half walk in the park or a half-hour jog. Only you do not go anywhere and do not run, but just stand.
2. Lower Blood Sugar
A sharp and prolonged increase in blood glucose levels is the main cause of diabetes. Observation of ten office employees showed: on the days of the experiment, when employees worked in a standing position for three hours after lunch, their blood sugar level was 43% lower than when they were sitting at work under equal conditions.
3. Reducing The Risk Of Heart Failure
The idea that standing reduces the risk of heart failure dates back to 1953. Doctors have noticed that bus conductors, who spend all day on their feet, have fewer heart problems than their fellow drivers. As a result of studies, it was found that the risk of heart failure in those who lead a sedentary lifestyle is 147% higher than in active people.
4. Reduced Back Pain
The most common complaints of office workers are sharp pains in the back, clamps, and discomfort in the lower back. A study published by the CDC Organization notes a 54% reduction in back and neck pain after four weeks of using a standing desk.
5. Increased Attention
The standing position increases the concentration of attention. It is the conclusion of the researchers of the American University. Sitting on a chair makes it easier to relax and get distracted by checking instant messengers, social networks, and taking a couple of new selfies. In a standing position, the human body is mobilized and ready for productive work.
How Long Should I Stand At My Standing Desk?
No matter how comfortable your workplace is, working in the same position or sitting still for a long time is unhealthy. You should change your working position more often. Height-adjustable tables for sitting and standing solve this problem.
Recommended mode: 70% of the time to work sitting, 30% to work standing. The main focus of the change of position is your feelings.
If you change your posture every 40-45 minutes, as well as with a physical warm-up every 120 minutes, you will reduce the risks of developing osteochondrosis, spinal hernia, back pain, eye diseases, diabetes mellitus, diseases of the cardiovascular system, and kidneys.
Importantly, when working in a dynamic sitting/standing position, your productivity will increase, on average, by 30%. Firstly, it is because the standing posture is a strong position, outside of active actions, and secondly, in the standing position, the concentration is higher and there is less procrastination.
Author:
Hayley Mann is a technology enthusiast specializing in automation methods of ergonomics devices. Her engineering background helps her to create interesting articles on technical topics, making them understandable for all readers.