We know that sitting all day at work is bad for our health, but new science on standing desks have found that standing at work is not the solution to a sedentary lifestyle either. In a long-term study of 38,000 people, those who stood or walked for more than six hours each day at work had up to three times the risk of surgery for varicose veins, which is associated with higher heart failure risk.
A new study shows the benefits of a Standing desk
In a new pilot study, University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers said employees may be able to get exercise benefits from a pedal desk without experiencing any drawbacks on their productivity.
Since there are no commercial pedal desks, the researchers created a prototype pedal desk and got 12 sedentary employees to use them. They found that employees using the pedal desk needed less insulin to maintain blood sugar levels, suggesting that the pedal desk boosted participants’ metabolism.
There is the daily update of the technology, that you hear in tech news daily. The alternatives to sitting at a desk – such as a standing desk or treadmill desk – come with the risk of standing too long, the researchers said. The advantage of a standing desk converter is its adaptability to a workers’ needs.
Benefits of Standing Desks
Standing desks have been available for many years, although they are becoming more popular as people realize the benefits a standing desk truly provides for the body.
Studies show that people who lead a sedentary lifestyle or sit for long periods at work are more susceptible to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and a shorter life expectancy. This combination of symptoms is often referred to as “sitting disease”. Even worse, the long-term effects of sitting often are not simply countered by exercise or diet!
Standing while working, even for just 30 minutes at a time (4 hours a day or more) can have a major impact on your health and body, and it’s not difficult to do if you have the right equipment. Sit-Stand desks, sometimes known as standing desks or height-adjustable desks, are all the rage and make it very easy to change posture throughout the day while working. For example, this one offers easy adjustability of the desktop height and has a swiveling chair that can move out of the way while standing! Using this type of equipment at work can have innumerable benefits:
- Reduce Back Pain. …
- Lower your Risk of Heart Disease. …
- Lower your Risk of Weight Gain and Obesity. …
- Lower Blood Sugar Levels and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. …
- Improve Mood and Gain Energy. …
- Boost Your Productivity.
Conclusion
The above benefits may not be the only ones you find as you try out this new lifestyle. Improvements in physical, metabolic, and mental health can impact your life in ways you never thought possible.