Standing Desks – 5 Healthy Work Life Benefits

Standing desks are no newcomer to the business world, but there are numerous offices across the world that haven’t made the switch. Many find them unnecessary, while others aren’t sold on their benefits. I certainly care about work desk decor trends but I am more concerned about my health in the office and this is where the standing desk comes into play.

But the studies don’t lie, the benefits are proven.

Standing Desks Benefits

1. Burns Calories

Everyone is looking for ways to cut calories and lose weight. Standing desks are a fantastic way to take advantage of some low hanging fruit when it comes to weight loss. No need to work out or go for a jog, just spend a few hours standing at your desk each day.

A treadmill desk is certainly another, more aggressive, calorie-burning option that can yield many healthy benefits.

According to the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, doing so all afternoon will burn you more than 170 calories as opposed to sitting.

This statistic introduces a theme – one could argue that standing desks aren’t necessarily boosting health. If you spend your days walking around or moving furniture, a standing desk probably won’t present many benefits. But when compared to sitting at a desk all day, we find that the health benefits are significant.

2. Standing Desks Limit Blood Sugar Spikes

Spikes in blood sugar generally have negative health implications – even more so for those with diabetes. Anything to help regulate blood sugar after meals is helpful.

In another article, standing for a little over two hours post-lunch reduced a spike in blood sugar by 43% in comparison to being sedentary for two hours.

3. Reduced Back Pain

Anyone who has had a sedentary job knows how easy it can be to slump in your chair for hours at a time without realizing it. Sitting at a desk for long periods of time every single day can have adverse effects on the spinal cord and occasionally lead to general back pain.

Standing contributes to better posture and positioning for your back. In fact, a study by the CDC found that the use of a standing desk reduced upper back pain in participants by 54% in just four short weeks.

4. Boosted Energy

In 2011, a handful of organizations partnered with Health Partners to conduct the Take-a-Stand Project. The study had participants reduce their time spent sitting by an average of 66 minutes per day. After 4 weeks, the participants were interviewed about their experience and the results are below.

• 87% felt more energized
• 71% felt more focused
• 66% felt more productive
• 62% felt happier

Though the study led to a number of takeaways, the most notable was the participants’ improved energy.

5. Increased Productivity

The study above shows that 66% of Take-a-Stand participants claimed an increase in productivity. Outside of this experiment, there have been few other studies that link standing desks with increased productivity. However, as we know, there is evidence to suggest standing desks increase energy and improve mood. In addition, other experiments link depression and anxiety to sedentary time.

So perhaps the direct correlation to productivity is shaky, but if one agrees that good mood and low levels of anxiety lead to productivity, there’s certainly a case to be made that standing desks increase productivity.

How to Make the Switch to Standing Desks

The standing desk market continues to grow, so those interested in making the switch have options. The first step is to sell your team, boss, office manager, or administrator on the benefits.

Once your team is on board, it’s time to research and choose a desk. Fortunately, many of these companies offer money back guarantees, bulk discounts (for those in large offices), and buy now, pay later financing programs.

Give standing desks a shot. You may find yourself with a happier, healthier office. With the advent of the standing desk, the availability of standing desk accessories are becoming more and more widespread. Here is another great resource for an in-depth review of the Top 10 Standing Desks and what you should look for when considering this innovative office furnishing.

3 Highly-Rated Standing Desks

Author Bio – Brooks Manley is a digital marketer for office equipment and IT service providers like Plus Inc. He enjoys the internet, writing, and all things office tech.