Working from home can be a struggle sometimes. Getting up, walking three feet to your desk, and sitting on a chair all day can be detrimental to your physical and mental health.
If you’re searching for a solution to ease your back pain, you’ve come to the right place. This article will guide you through the world of standing desks, how to use them, and their health benefits.
What are the health benefits of standing up?
Reduced Back Pain
According to a study, 80% of adults will experience back pain at some point in their life. In 2011, The Take-a-Stand project discovered that participants who were standing for an hour during their workday experienced a 54% reduction in upper back and neck pain.
Lower Risk of Heart Disease
18 studies with over 800,000 participants have conclusively shown that people who stand throughout their day cut the health risks related to heart diseases by half.
The sad reality is that with many of us working 9-5 jobs, we don’t always have the time to exercise. Standing at your desk can counter this and help keep your muscles working and blood pumping!
Weight Stability
Standing up at a desk increases the natural number of calories burned which in turn helps stabilize your weight and health. Did you know you burn a thousand more calories a week standing than sitting? The only other way to achieve this would be to do a 10-mile run!
This doesn’t mean you will lose weight by standing, but it will definitely help stabilize and maintain your weight and improve your overall health.
Lower Blood Sugar Levels
After we eat, our sugar levels spike. Naturally, this can be countered through exercise and moving, but if you’re stuck sitting at a desk all day then this can actually increase your chances of becoming diabetic. A 2013 study demonstrated that standing for 2 hours after a meal reduced employee’s blood sugar levels by 43%! A standing desk is therefore a useful tool to stabilize your sugar levels.
Improved Mood
Sitting for long periods of time is linked to depression and anxiety. Returning to the Take-a-Stand project, they discovered that at the end of week 7, 62% of people who stood for an hour each day felt happier. The participants saw an increase in mood, energy, focus, productivity, and a decrease in stress.
What are the health risks of standing for too long?
Although standing is a natural human posture, it doesn’t mean you should stand 16 hours a day. Standing on your feet all day can cause negative health issues such as sore feet, leg swelling, varicose veins, muscular fatigue, lower back pain, neck stiffness, etc.
Any employee working on machines, in construction, in sales, or other fields of work where you’re required to be on your feet all day can vouch for this.
How long should I be standing for?
The ideal situation is one where you alternate between sitting and standing. This will ensure you gain all the health benefits of standing. A sit-to-stand ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 is ideal. Which, out of those two ratios, you choose is up to you, but essentially standing for 30 to 45 minutes every hour is what you should aim for.
There are two ways to go about it. You could sit and stand on and off for 30 minutes, this is potentially preferred if you are easing yourself into standing for longer periods of time. Don’t worry if you struggle to stand for an hour on day one, ease yourself into it and gradually increase the time you spend standing up.
Is there a compromise?
How do I sit and stand at the same desk? By using an ergonomic sit-stand desk. The perfect complement to a sit-stand desk is an ergonomic stool or highchair to take the weight off your feet and allow you to be flexible with the amount of time you want to stand.
Difference between standing and sit-stand desks
The main difference between a standing desk and a sit-stand desk is the ability to adjust the desk height. Sit-stand desks almost always have a height-adjustable feature, this allows you to sit or stand comfortably by adjusting the desk to suit your position.
Many desks which are purely for standing have a fixed height for you to just stand at. The only downside of a purely standing desk is that it can be tricky to accommodate the 1:1 ratio of standing-to-sitting.
Desks with adjustable heights are what you should be looking for!
How to make standing more comfortable
Getting a standing desk is only half the battle, once it is delivered to your door you need to know how to use it to make it comfortable. Posture is the key to comfort. Whilst using the desk you should be able to keep your neck tall, shoulders relaxed, wrists parallel to the desk surface, and knees slightly bent.
Screen Angle and Distance
No matter how tall you are, you typically want to have your monitor 20-28 inches from your face at an angle of 10-20 degrees. How can you do this with a laptop? Attaching an external monitor, ergonomic mouse, and keyboard to your laptop will ensure comfort whether you’re sitting or standing.
You may also be worried about the weight and size capacity of a standing desk. Outop’s ergonomic standing desks like Månen, have a weight capacity of 176 lbs and a desk size of either 30 x 60 inches, or 30 x 721 inches which ensures your computer equipment can be supported without collapsing whilst also giving you plenty of space for other things.
Adjustable Height
Adjustable desk height is key to comfort. The correct height depends on how tall you are.
Your elbows should be bent at 90 degrees. This will ensure your forearms run parallel to the desk surface and your muscles are relaxed.
How does this translate to what desk height capacity you should look for? If you’re between 5’0” and 5’5” then a desk height of 36-40 inches is perfect, if you're between 5’6'' and 6’2” then a desk height of 40-45 inches is required and if you’re above 6’2'' then a desk height of 46-50 inches is probably best.
Outop offers a wide range of adjustable height standing desks such as the Valnö, which has a height range of 25.6 - 51.2 inches. Outop ergonomic standing desks are suited to everyone’s height.
If you’re interested in getting your hands on an ergonomic standing desk, you can shop online or contact us if you have any questions.
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