In this guide, we share the six main benefits of using a standing desk. Standing desks are a great way to help you to get in shape, reduce stress and improve your productivity. They can also help you to stay more physically active and reduce your risk of obesity.
Standing desks are most often used by people who spend a lot of time sitting at their desk, or who spend too much time at their desk. In fact some people use a standing desk because they want to be more productive while they are at work. They don’t want the hassle of sitting down every day in front of the computer, so they simply stand it up on the desk when they need to work.
Standing desks work by allowing you to sit down whenever you want, not just when you’re ready to sit down. The position where your feet rest on the ground varies depending on how tall you are and what type of standing desk you have. Generally, it shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes for your body to return to its normal posture.
So let’s get into the six main benefits of using a standing desk.
Reduces risk of obesity and related health problems
If you want to reduce your risk of developing obesity, then a standing desk may be for you. It is actually more than just a standing desk that helps burn the fat too, it is the movement that a standing desk encourages that helps as well.
Standing rather than sitting at a desk burns an additional 60 calories per hour, which is a good start. However, if you are at a standing desk, you are far more likely to move in other ways too, like shifting your legs for balance and weight changes, moving around your workspace, watering those home office plants, stretching your arms and legs, walking to other desks and back and the like.
Standing desks have been known to alter the way people think about sitting as well as their physical health, so you should definitely consider it if it helps:
Standing desks reduce back pain
This is a great office solution for anyone who suffers from back pain or other musculoskeletal pain. There seems to be growing evidence that standing desks help people with back pain, since they get to move more frequently, and have a better posture generally.
While you shouldn’t sit all day long, especially if you’re in your 50s or above, standing can make a big difference — particularly if you use a standing desk.
If your back hurts badly when you stand up for extended periods of time after using one for awhile (especially if it’s been awhile since the last time), then standing up might not be optimal for improving health but may be better than lying down on the back all day.
Moving around is also important during this time so that muscles don’t get sore or overused after being inactive too long.
Woman at a standing desk in home office
Improves posture and circulation
Standing desks are a solution for some of the ergonomic problems that people have. For example, it has been shown that standing for prolonged periods of time can lead to reduced lumbar lordosis, which can cause lower back pain, and people who sit too much are at risk of developing osteoarthritis.
Research has shown that standing may be beneficial for a number of health issues, including reduced blood pressure and improved circulation. The primary benefit is improved circulation as an important component of the body’s overall circulation system.
Standing helps to direct blood flow away from the heart and towards the legs by increasing blood flow through major veins in the legs that deliver oxygen-rich blood to muscles and organs in the legs. This helps prevent fatigue caused by low levels of oxygenated blood circulating around your body.
Encourage better productivity
When standing up is easier than sitting down, that’s called ergonomics (or “cognitive ergonomics” – more about that later). Standing desks allow you to put yourself in the best possible position while still moving around and getting things done quickly and efficiently:
- You can read (and write) faster
- You develop better coordination skills
- You can concentrate better on one task or focus on multiple tasks simultaneously
You don’t get so tired after 30 minutes that it takes 10-15 minutes for your body clock (the body’s internal clock) to reset itself – this is why standing desks make it easier for people who need more energy management (people who work under extremely long hours).
It also helps prevent motion sickness if you have limited movement in certain parts of the body (like knees), which could otherwise happen when using a chair for long periods.
UpDown standing desk (Source)
This desk above is both a sitting and standing desk, where you simply use push buttons to change the height – how great is that? The Australian made UpDown Desk PRO electric standing desk has a beautiful Acacia top, and there’s a whole range of different tabletops on their website to choose from.
Standing desks reduce risk of heart disease
Another benefit is greater oxygen delivery to your brain where it is needed most — like during exercise or other activities when our brain needs more energy. It also helps to reduce inflammation (which is associated with increased age-related disease), which reduces your odds for heart disease and other chronic ailments such as arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Although this is a topic that many people are interested in, it’s not as frequently discussed as other topics. The fact is that standing desks are now so popular that they’re probably never going away.
Standing desks also make it easier for people who suffer from arthritis or other chronic pain issues to get through the day without suffering too much pain in their joints—especially if they’re regularly using crutches or walkers—because they won’t need high levels of physical therapy because they can stand at work instead!
Boosts energy and productivity levels
You only exercise and sleep when you feel like doing it. A standing desk allows you to exercise all day in a small way. Other benefits include better concentration, improved concentration, better muscle coordination and lower blood pressure; all of which help prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke. You may also notice improved mental clarity when you stand (which can help with day-to-day tasks such as filing).
Standing desks are designed to improve your posture because they help you maintain proper alignment at work and reduce your stress levels by providing more space for your body to move around.
Example of standing desk
Conclusion
Using a standing desk along with having a good office chair is a great way to improve your health and productivity.
It’s easy to sit all day. It’s even more difficult to stand all day. This is a problem for many of us, and standing desks have come a long way in the last 10 years.
However, there are still some limitations: the desk can only be adjusted in height, it can only be adjusted when you are seated and you have to push the desk away from yourself.