As anyone who works in an office will tell you, it can sometimes feel like we spend our lives sitting at a desk. In fact, many of us spend up to eight hours each day sat staring at our computer screens.
The seated office is a fairly new phenomenon, and it’s only been the norm since the 20th century. But it’s a practice that flies in the face of research on physical activity, which tells us that the seated, sedentary lifestyle we’ve become so accustomed to is having a serious effect on our health and wellbeing. It’s even been linked to cardiovascular problems and diabetes – conditions that are worryingly on the rise. What’s more, this prolonged inactivity is causing damage that can’t simply be undone with a cycle home from work, or an hour at the gym a couple of nights a week.
So what’s the alternative? It’s a simple but effective concept: we stand up. Standing desks and sit and stand desks are a big change from the rows upon rows of cramped workstations we find in a typical office. They offer employees the flexibility to stay active and move around while they go about their daily tasks, and best of all, they can improve health in a number of ways. For starters, standing uses significantly more calories than sitting, which burns a single calorie each minute. Standing while you work improves posture too, and helps avoid painful back problems, which are common in office workers – and actually cause 7.6 million lost working days through absence. It’s even been suggested that the standing desk can enhance creativity and boost workers’ energy and productivity levels.
Standing desk specialists I Want A Standing Desk.com offer a range of stylish desk options that allow users to ‘work out and work’. Unlike the conventional office set-up, they’re designed to keep workers active, alert and engaged, so they perform at their best and feel great too. Switching from the seats we’re so settled in to the sit-stand alternative may seem like ‘one giant leap’ for most businesses, but, as I Want A Standing Desk.com’s clients will tell you, it’s certainly worth it.
Happier, healthier workers, increased productivity and less sick days, not to mention a great-looking office space; the benefits are obvious. So don’t just sit there – stand up for workers’ wellbeing and join the office revolution!
