Stand Up Desk Benefits That Will Make You More Efficient At Work

Stand Up Desk Overall Benefits

The human body is a wondrous thing. We are powered by incredibly complex systems that work in conjunction with each other to keep us alive and active. The muscular system and the skeletal system, for example, can accomplish incredible feats of strength with proper training and conditioning. Is it a wonder elite athletes and skilled dancers are lauded and admired? It’s really nothing short of a miracle. Read about all the benefits of a stand up desk below:

What the human body is not designed for, however, is a sedentary lifestyle that includes sitting down for long stretches of time. Unfortunately, not all of us can be highly trained elite athletes. In fact, a great number of people have desk jobs or a lifestyle that doesn’t necessitate rigorous physical activity or any physical activity at all! The Pixar animated movie Wall-E paints a comical and highly exaggerated picture of a future where human beings are obese, inactive, and completely reliant on technology for even the simplest things. It will do as well to take stock on the trajectory of our health and physical conditioning as a society.

Technology, too, has made our lives easier and more convenient by making many things within reach or with a tap of a finger. Through the years, there have been so many inventions and innovations that made life more comfortable for humans by making sure we can go about our day expending the least amount of energy as possible. It can be something as complex as a subway or train system, or as simple as a pulley to shut the blinds! The examples are endless — escalators, walkalators, elevators, remote control for home appliances, even an electric can opener! No doubt these are all good innovations that vastly improved our quality of life and even life expectancy. But, one downside is that it greatly limits our physical activity.

Health Risks of Office Workers

A white-collar desk job might sound cushy compared to, say, other a job that will require risking your life day in and day out, but office work has its own set of negative effects. An article by the British Journal of General Practice went as far as to proclaim that sitting is the new smoking.^[1] So severe is this sitting epidemic and lack of sufficient and regular physical exertion is that it’s damaging our health faster than we can mitigate it with our healthy living efforts. In short, prolonged sitting, even if you do exercise, will put you at risk for early death.^[2] Sitting for long periods, as one does in a regular office job, is horrible for the posture and can cause chronic neck pain. The spine was simply not designed to be slumped down and facing a computer screen for long periods of time. Even if you get a specially built chair to address some of the back problems too much sitting will cause, there are still numerous health problems to consider.

Sitting in these chairs, though better for your back, you still won’t be burning enough calories, which will result in weight gain. A sedentary lifestyle can also cause metabolic syndrome and weakened muscles. You won’t be burning as many calories as you need to. Obesity can, in turn, snowball into different health complications like a cardiovascular disease, high blood sugar levels, and various types of diabetes. It’s easy to dismiss the dangers of sitting if you don’t look at the big picture: unhealthy employees will simply not be able to perform at their optimal best. They will probably take more sick days off and will be in and out of hospitals more. This does not only represent a drain in talent but a drain in the resources as well. This will definitely hurt a company’s bottom line.

Stand-up Desks Benefits

Is it as simple as encouraging employees to sit less and move more? Maybe not. Some jobs do require extended periods in front of a computer screen or performed in still and quiet concentration. Taking breaks to walk around is not only disruptive to a person’s workflow, but it’s also a colossal waste of time and resources for the company. People should be working when they need to work, and not walking up and down the hallway to fulfill a required number of steps to take per day.

But how does one find a mutually beneficial middle ground between employee health and efficiency? Many have tried to address that problem. One such example is the treadmill desk. It’s a good concept but it never really caught on. The same goes for balance boards. Brisk walking or balancing while working? Even the best multi-taskers may have a hard time with that. Enter the standing desks or stand up desks. Many offices are big believers of stand up desks health benefits. First, a sedentary lifestyle, which includes sitting for prolonged periods damages the brain. It thins out the structures in the brain responsible for memory retention.^[3]

Can Working Standing Up Help Efficiency?

You always want to be sharp and hyper-focused at work. Forgetfulness will not help you perform at your optimal level. Another stand up desk benefit is that it improves mood and disposition. The simple act of standing at work may have a very low impact physically, but psychologically, you will feel the difference. It improves the mood and reduces the symptoms of anxiety.^[4]

In any office, there are times when tensions will run high, and stress will get the better of even the most well-adjusted employee. Providing stand up desks for employees to help mitigate that seems to be a worthy investment indeed. Especially for creative jobs, employees will appreciate the added benefit of being able to move around and switch workstations. Movement may even aid in their creativity. Sometimes the brain needs a change of scenery or a change of location to jumpstart it. A standing desk will also come in handy for anyone who is trying to ward off sleepiness. Come noontime, especially after a heavy lunch; employees will appreciate being able to stand while still working. This will prevent them from dozing off and will also aid in their digestion. Overall, there are very real benefits of making a stand up desk available at work for employees. It should be as ubiquitous as a coffee machine or a microwave in every office. More than a passing fad, its known benefits are backed by studies and science. It’s a mutually beneficial situation.

You want happy and healthy employees, but you also don’t want them to slack off at work. You want them to put in the required number of hours and be as productive and efficient as possible. A stand-up desk makes it possible for an employee to do just that, without endangering their health and well-being from sitting down too long. If you care about workplace efficiency, stand up desks are definitely a worthy investment.

What Are the Key Elements of a Good Standing Desk?

What makes a good stand up desk? First and foremost, you want a height adjustable desk so that everyone can use it without straining their backs or their eyes. A sit-stand desk is one that is completely adjustable. However, most people will probably prefer having a dedicated sitting desk with a bigger work area so they can keep their desktop, laptop, framed photos, and other knick-knacks there. A stand up desk need not be as big. A surface area big enough for a proper laptop and perhaps a writing area for a pad and pen is more than enough.Overall, we find that the Yaasa® stand up desk is the best stand up desk in the market. It fits the bill perfectly when it comes to form, function, and price. It’s lightweight but sturdy. It won’t wobble, even as you lean on it. The height is customizable so anyone can use it. For an office space looking to install or provide multiple stand up desks for their employees, the Yaasa® stand up desk it the best option.

If you can’t carve sufficient hours from your day to go to the gym, engage in sports, or pursue vigorous physical activities, the next best thing are standing desks. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but you will be burning more calories in the long run and improving your posture and muscle tone. It’s definitely a start. Little tweaks in your lifestyle, if practiced regularly, can make a world of difference in your overall health and quality of life. Sitting desks will never go away, and rightly so. But it’s better for an office to provide a stand up desk option for its myriad of health and work efficiency benefits.