Studies have shown that 9 out of 10 workers spend at least 6 hours a day working at a sitting desk. But, gone are the days when we had only traditional normal desks at our workplace, causing immense health problems for us. Now, you can also set up a standing desk for your computer at your office.
Still, the question is how this relates to sitting at our desks and whether standing desks are a viable alternative. So let’s talk about the answer in detail. We also have some amazing facts about your work chairs; just keep reading on.
PROBLEMS RELATED TO SITTING DESKS
Although you may feel very comfortable sitting at your desk and working on your computers, prolonged sitting may lead to an array of problems. These include:
- It doesn’t take much searching to know that sitting day in and day out is detrimental to your health, predominantly from displacing physical activity.
- Sometimes you may end up hunching over and aching your back.
- Research has also shown sitting too much decreases metabolism, increases blood pressure, and negatively affects waist circumference.
- It also increases triglyceride and blood sugar levels. So prolonged sitting is bad for you.
- Sitting also increases the pressure on your lower back in comparison to standing.
- Your back hurts more when you sit for prolonged periods.
- There is a lot of pressure on the spine when you are not sitting correctly. You may lean way too forward, causing spine and joint issues.
HOW CAN STANDING DESKS HELP YOU?
Luckily, in recent years, alternatives of sitting desks have sprouted, one of which is the standing desk. The science behind it does support its use to an extent. Standing desks are pretty cool, and their health benefits sound promising.
- Standing more might be beneficial for alleviating back pain caused by sitting-induced chronic hip or lumbar flexion.
- Standing at a desk leads to improvements in physical well-being and creativity.
- No detrimental effects on focusing or productivity.
- Standing improves your posture because it enables the neck, back, and hip muscles to be activated, hence, preventing the muscles from weakening.
PROBLEMS WITH STANDING DESKS
Too much of a good thing is bad. Using a standing desk is like any other intervention- it can come with side effects. Although standing desks are designed so that your computer’s screen will be at your eye level to save you from neck and back strains, we tend to forget about the other problems.
- Standing desks are associated with deterioration in reaction time and mental state.
- People working in occupations involving primarily standing are associated with a 2-fold increase in heart disease.
- Prolonged standing results in measurable increases in arterial stiffness.
- Standing all day can cause leg cramps, vascular issues as well as muscle and joint pains.
- Physical activity at a standing desk is offset by a decrease in physical activity away from the desk.
- Leaning on one leg or hunching forward while standing may also cause you to develop muscle imbalances, strains in the neck and lower back, as well as misalignment in your spine and joints.
SO SHOULD YOU SIT OR STAND AT YOUR DESK?
Even with the ability to stand, there is still a need to take breaks from the desk entirely. You’re still staying in the same position for an extended period of time, and that can be tiring no matter whether you stand or sit. Fact is, it won’t replace the benefits of moving around, even as little as a walk break, and you can’t skip exercises just because you stood more than you sat in a day.
When you think of a healthy workstation, you would probably think of one of those desks that you can sit or stand at. If you currently spend a lot of time at the desk, whether for work or leisure, an adjustable desk frame can be beneficial for you. Indeed, standing more and sitting less is excellent, but at the end of the day, you still need to get out there and move.
SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT YOUR WORK CHAIRS
Here, we are. So, the 5 facts about your work chairs that you didn’t know before are:
- Right office chair can protect against injury: An incorrect office chair and wrong posture lead to damage in spinal structures contributing to recurring back pains for your whole life.
- Affects work productivity: An incorrect work chair can make you sloppy, sleepy, and bored, due to which your productivity rate is not that high.
- Material of the office chair plays a role. A chair with good build quality can go a long way. You also feel comfortable in a suitable material chair.
- Reduces the number of breaks: The right office chair can reduce the number of breaks you want to take due to being uncomfortable.
- Wheeled or non-wheeled: Wheeled office chairs often distract you since they can be too easily moved, and in stable chairs, you can’t quickly move or turn to reach the stuff. But a non-wheeled chair keeps you more focused on your work.
CONCLUSION
Although a standing desk may be beneficial, you still need to adjust your workstation and take routine breaks. While sitting, sit up straight with your head positioned so that your ears are over your shoulders with your feet planted firmly on the floor while working on your computer. Move after every 20-30 minutes.
Get up and leave your workstation, get some water, stretch a little bit. Keep your blood flowing, and don’t stay in the same position for too long. You should be shifting, walking, moving, stretching, doing yoga poses and switching between sitting and standing throughout the day.