Nowadays, people take more care of their health and wellbeing than ever before. In modern societies, people spend a lot of hours at work. If you work at an office, you probably spend many hours sitting at a desk. That’s not good for anyone’s health. Sitting for long periods leads to a sedentary lifestyle. Several life-threatening diseases usually develop as a result of a sedentary life. In fact, many physicians refer to any of the said diseases as a “sitting disease.”
Technology can help to prevent these health problems. With a telescopic desk, also known as a standing desk, you can avoid sitting for your entire working day. Such a desk allows you to adjust the tabletop height so you can stand while working. Several studies have demonstrated that alternating between sitting and standing during a working day is more beneficial than sitting. It is also better than standing only.
Therefore, the ideal standing desk should allow switching between sitting and standing positions (and vice versa) easily and quickly. Electric standing desks can do it with the simple push of a button. Electric standing desks utilize electro-mechanical devices known as lifting columns. A lifting column consists of an electric motor and a mechanism that converts rotation into up-down movement. This type of standing desk is easy to control.
Electric standing desks have become very popular in corporate offices. They are also the preferred choice for home offices. In comparison to traditional desks, standing desks are more expensive. Nevertheless, they are worth the investment. But what are the reasons? Why should you get an electric standing desk? We summarize the most important reasons below.
1. Lower Risk of Developing Life-Threatening Diseases
Protecting your health is the most important reason to use a standing desk. A lot of scientific evidence has demonstrated that a sedentary lifestyle can lead to dangerous diseases such as:
- Obesity;
- Diabetes;
- Hypertension;
- Heart disease;
- Some forms of cancer.
A standing desk counters these problems by allowing you to stand for some hours in a working day. And even though standing doesn’t compare to exercising, it helps burn more calories. If you stand instead of sitting during a working day, you will burn an additional 170 kcal on average. You can burn nearly 1,000 kcal extra every week by simply standing at work. In combination with a balanced diet and regular exercise, a standing desk helps you prevent obesity.
To prevent the development of diabetes, you have to limit your sugar intake. Moreover, you have to be physically active to speed up your metabolism. A common practice among office workers is to sit down after having lunch. If you work from home, you probably lay down to take a nap. Such practices favor the increase of blood sugar levels. Instead, a standing desk helps you to stand while you work after lunch. Several studies have demonstrated that standing after lunch reduces the blood sugar spike significantly in comparison to workers that sit down.
In the same vein, the association between sitting for s long time and the development of cardiovascular diseases was established decades ago. Scientists conducted studies on bus drivers that usually sit for half a day. Their risk of developing a deadly heart problem was much higher than bus drivers that sat for shorter periods. Now, scientists know that the said risk increases by up to 147%. As in the previous cases, the use of a standing desk is an effective way to reduce the time you spend sitting. As a result, your risk of developing heart disease decreases.
2. Fewer Back and Neck Problems
Back and/or neck pain is one of the most common ailments of office workers. These problems are the consequence of sitting for too long every day. In extreme cases, office workers even suffer from spine damage. When an office worker adopts the wrong sitting position, the spine can be severely strained. In some cases, a bad sitting posture can lead to disc damage.
For example, when you work at a computer, your arms should be parallel to the floor. Alternatively, your arms should be slightly inclined downward the keyboard. With a traditional desktop, you can adopt this position if you are tall enough (around 5’10” tall). However, if you are shorter, your arms may be inclined upward. This is a bad posture to work for several hours.
An electric standing desk can help you to tackle this problem. With the push of a button, you can set the height of the tabletop to the most ergonomic height for you. So, a standing desk can help you reduce back pain even when you are sitting. When you stand, the risk of suffering from back pain diminishes also.
3. Better Mood and a Positive Mental Attitude
You probably have experienced a feeling of tiredness and sleepiness when you sit for too long. It is not uncommon to see office workers yawning during working hours. Instead, when you stand, you feel active and full of energy. When you stand, blood circulates throughout the entire body more easily. As a result, your muscles and brain are well-oxygenated.
When your body is well-oxygenated you feel full of energy. Your mood becomes better and, in general, you have a more positive mental attitude. These effects have a direct impact on your performance at work. When you are in good mood, you can focus on your daily tasks. Your creativity and productivity get a boost as a result.
4. More Physical Activity
If you sit all day, you probably won’t be doing any physical activities. Instead, if you stand, you will be moving more. You will likely walk around, stretch your legs and arms, and more. A standing desk promotes more physical activity during a working day. However, don’t forget that standing during working hours should be complementary to regular exercise.
5. Better Blood Circulation
Blood can flood more easily throughout your body when you stand. In this way, you get a better circulation as we explained. But it also helps prevent health problems that originate with poor blood circulation. Blood clots and varicose veins are some of the health problems that you can prevent with a standing desk.
6. A Longer Life!
A longer lifespan is the normal consequence of all the health benefits from standing desks. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer are some of the most common causes of death around the world. Standing desks contribute to reducing the risk of developing any of these life-threatening diseases.
Final Remarks
We all want a healthier life, right? Then, we have to change some habits in our lifestyle. Sitting for an entire working day is something that every office worker should avoid. Standing, or rather, switching between sitting and standing during a working day, is a good way to prevent a sedentary lifestyle. If you care about your health and wellbeing (who doesn’t?), a standing desk is ideal for you.
The regular use of a standing desk will bring several health benefits. Some of these benefits can appear immediately, some others after some time. However, in general, a standing desk helps prevent life-threatening diseases. That alone should be reason enough to begin using this type of furniture. However, remember that a standing desk is just a part of the formula. You should add regular exercise and a healthy diet.