Recent studies have shown that sitting all day is terrible for your health. But you may have a job that requires you to be at a desk for most if not all of the day. Fortunately, there is an answer to this problem – the standing desk. You can stand and work instead of sitting. While it may sound like a lot of effort at first, you will find that standing desks offer numerous benefits that are well worth it.
5 Ways Standing Desks are Good for Your Health
1. Standing at your desk helps you avoid gaining weight.
The final equation for weight gain is that you take in more calories than you burn throughout the day. A standing desk won’t eliminate your need for regular exercise, but it will help you burn more calories while you work. Standing just takes more effort, plain and simple.
Research has shown that those that stand at their desks instead of sitting all day can burn around 170 calories more. That’s worth almost two miles of walking you don’t have to do each day – just stand up while you are working at your standing desk. And when you add it all up, that comes out to nearly 1000 more calories burned each week.
2. You may be able to reduce your back pain.
You may come to the chiropractor for help with your back pain – many people do. Your chiropractor will do an adjustment and you will feel better, but the pain may come back as you go about your day-to-day life. That’s because you are doing things that are taking your back out of alignment again. Sitting may be one of the biggest culprits here.
Studies have shown that workers who use standing desks experience less back pain. After a few weeks of standing, their back pain is reduced. But if you take the standing desks away, the back pain returns. So a standing desk could be a valuable tool in alleviating your back pain.
3. Your energy levels may increase.
A surprising benefit of standing desks is an increase in daily energy levels. Researchers found that those using standing desks for an extended period reported higher energy levels than those who sat at their desks all day.
Other research has found links between sedentary lifestyles – like sitting all day – and depression. Standing at your desk could help lift your mood along with your energy levels.
4. You might be more productive.
When you think about it, this benefit makes a lot of sense. If standing at your desk alleviates your back pain and improves your energy levels, it seems natural that you would be able to get more work done as well.
Typing at a standing desk and operating a computer, in general, are no more difficult than they would be at a sitting desk. You can perform just as well at your standard tasks as you could in your normal desk – but you will feel better and have more energy in the process.
5. Your lifespan may increase.
One of the most upsetting things that research into sitting has found is that it can shorten your lifespan. That’s right – the more you sit, the shorter your life is likely to be. Not good news for office workers and others who sit for work.
Fortunately, standing desks are readily available that make it easy to stand and work. You don’t have to sit all day if you don’t want to. It’s also worth noting that sit to stand desks are an option that allows you to alternate between sitting and standing – so you can rest when you need to!
For more information on healthy living, please contact our chiropractic team. We are here to help you live your best life.
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