It's no secret that sitting for long periods of time can have negative health effects. But is standing all day at a desk any better? Recent studies suggest that the answer is not so simple. While standing desks can provide some benefits, they may not be the best option for everyone. Evidence suggests that standing all day is not necessarily a good idea. Despite the potential benefits of standing desks, it appears that you can also stand for too long.
Ask anyone who is on their feet all day working and most will tell you that it's not easy. While the new study suggests that a standing desk is unlikely to help you lose weight or prevent weight gain, there may be other reasons to stand while working. Proponents of standing desks point to studies showing that, after a meal, blood sugar levels normalize faster on days when a person spends more time on their feet. In addition, standing rather than sitting can reduce the risk of shoulder and back pain. Standing desks have become increasingly popular in recent years; in many cases, their sales have far exceeded those of conventional desks.
They can be custom-built (for thousands of dollars) or a normal desk can be converted to a standing desk at no cost by raising the computer. One of my colleagues simply placed his computer on a stack of books. The studies in which the two were compared showed that treadmill users who used a desk improved their blood sugar and cholesterol levels much more than those who used the desk standing up. Standing desks seem to help ease back pain, but doctors don't know how long it takes to stand to get this benefit. Standing desks are great tools that allow you to get up and stretch your legs while you work, which is why many people now incorporate them into their office spaces.
People who stand for more than 6 hours a day are two to three times more likely to need surgery to treat varicose veins than people who stand or walk less than 4 hours a day. In addition, until now, most research on standing desks has focused on younger, healthier adults, not middle-aged or overweight adults. However, new research from Curtin University in Australia has found that standing desks might not be a better alternative for office workers. On the one hand, they largely matched Business Insider's Shana Lebowitz's own experience with a standing desk. But the prolonged strain on the legs and knees has made many people wonder if it's bad to stand all day at a desk. Standing burns slightly more calories than sitting, so a standing desk can help you lose weight.
In other words, using a standing desk for three hours burns an additional 24 calories, about the same amount of calories as a carrot. You've probably seen one co-worker catch up on emails at the office desk, while another one reads reports on his standing desk. Other potential health benefits of standing are assumed based on the conclusion that sitting for long hours is linked to an increased risk of various health issues. So what's the verdict? While there are some potential benefits to using a standing desk, it's important to remember that everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another. It's best to consult with your doctor before making any major changes to your work routine.
