Amongst the worst habits you can have for your health is sitting for long durations. Prolonged sitting has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke in studies.

Splitting up your sitting time into smaller portions of less than half an hour has numerous health benefits. However, sitting is sometimes inevitable, such as on long flights or while commuting to work. 

It is possible to spend more than nine hours a day sitting at home and working if you work at a desk. You can substantially minimize your sat hours by switching to a standing desk.

A Standing Desk, Really?

A standing desk lifts your entire workstation so that you may work comfortably while standing. These desks can easily accommodate your computer, monitors, lamps, and other desktop peripherals without tipping over or falling off, and your entire work experience will be the same, only that you will be standing more.

Standing desks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including height-adjustable sit-stand desks and risers. There are numerous possibilities available, particularly from a retailer like FlexiSpot. It should be simple to choose a solution that matches your preferences and requirements.

Why Purchase a Standing Desk?

Of course, anyone who wants to use a standing desk can (and should) purchase one. Standing desks, on the other hand, are highly advised for individuals who spend most of their day sitting at a desk, as well as those who are sedentary outside of or in addition to Monday-Friday work hours.

It is much easier to get a little more exercise into your day when you have a standing desk. Of course, if you choose a hybrid desk that allows you to alternate between sitting and standing, you need to invest in a high-quality office chair to ensure that your spine, back, and neck are properly supported when you do sit. 

When looking for a standing desk, you might want to consider getting the Willow Solid Wood Standing Desk from FlexiSpot.

Reasons Why a Standing Desk is Different than Usual Desks

Standing Desks Help to Alleviate Back Pain

Sitting with bad posture is a great way to put unnecessary strain on your spine. Your spine resembles a stack of Lego bricks placed on top of one another. The tower of blocks is likely to break somewhere towards the bottom, at your lumbar vertebra, if you slump your head forward or tip it. According to a study conducted by Pronk et al., reducing sitting time by 224 percent each day reduced the incidence of back and neck pain by 54 percent.

Standing Desks Help You Lose Weight

When you sit at your computer, your body is practically idling, burning only the calories it requires to stay alive. Standing, on the other hand, requires your body to activate muscles in your legs and core, increasing the number of calories you burn. Even if you only burn a few hundred extra calories every day, it adds up over a year.

Standing Desks Have the Potential to Boost Productivity

One of the biggest issues about standing workstations is that they may reduce workplace efficiency. Husemann et al. found no increase in spelling mistakes or word processing speed when workers shifted to a standing desk in a research published in 2009. Because standing improves mental awareness, there may be potential for increased productivity. To be conclusive, more research is required.

Insulin Sensitivity is Improved by Standing Desks

When you sit for long periods without taking a break, your body gets increasingly insulin resistant. Participants who sat for five hours without a break had plasma insulin levels 20 percent higher than those who sat for five hours with a break, according to a study by David Dunstan and his colleagues. 

There were notable changes in insulin levels between the groups who took breaks and those who did not, even after an hour or two of continuous sitting. Even if you choose to sit at times, a standing desk can help you break up your sitting throughout the day.

Standing Desks May Help You Live Longer

You could add years to your life by converting to a standing desk. Katzmarzyk et al. published a study in 2009 that looked at 17,000 persons over an average of twelve years and discovered a link between the quantity of time spent sitting and the probability of natural death.

Final Thoughts

Now that we know that standing desks are a viable choice, we must weigh the benefits and drawbacks. Of course, while we can debate issues and provide recommendations in either direction, the final decision is ultimately up to you (and your needs and budget).

Standing desks, on the other hand, provide many more advantages than downsides, especially for people who struggle to stay up and active throughout the day. As a result, we suggest getting a sit-stand desk, either manual or motorized. These will allow you to move around and keep healthy while working by allowing you to alternate between sitting and standing as needed.

Going to invest in a standing desk is a health-related investment. You can reduce your risk of heart disease while simultaneously improving your body composition by sitting less. When buying a desk, look for one that allows you to sit for a portion of the day before transitioning to full-time standing.