Sit-Stand Desks – an alternative way to work in the normal office environment

Studies have connected being sedentary for long periods of time with all sorts everything from obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and good old neck pain. That’s bad news for millions of us who work at a desk. However, Sit-Stand Desks foster more movement during the working week, which can help counteract a sedentary lifestyle.
So I wanted to give it a try and found that when working at my standing desk at home, I feel like I’ve got more energy as I do when working at the traditional seated desk in the office.
According to many medical reports, standing desks allow you to burn slightly more calories than you would do sitting while you work, and reduces shoulder and back pain. Another perk:
Now I’m no medical man but they say it may help blood sugar levels return to normal more quickly after eating (which keeps energy levels up, regulates hormones, and promotes good metabolism) and could potentially counteract all the detriments of lengthy sitting. More research is required to say anything definitively regarding this. There’s also a good possibility you’ll actually move more in general throughout the day, beyond the confines of a desk and computer screen.

Apart from the health benefits, Sit-Stand Desks allows us to be more interactive within the office. If you like sitting at a desk don’t worry as you don’t have to stand the whole day to reap the benefits simply standing every 30 is a positive way of increasing your active seating within an office.

But you must remember that a proper standing posture is also critical to ensure you do not have back neck or leg pain. To do this you need to:

• Stand as straight as you can.
• Then position your computer screen at eye level, 20 to 30 inches away from your face
• Your wrists should be flat on the desk, and your arms relaxed at a 90-degree angle (or close)
• One thing we often forget is to make sure you wear comfortable shoes (standing desks and stilettos don’t mix)
• Be sure you’re not putting your weight all on one foot or locking a knee; this will set off a chain reaction that strains your lower back and neck
• Leaning over can also strain your upper and middle back

Need help with ideas for the office stations?

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