Thoughts and inspirations from

“SHOULD YOU BE USING A STANDING

DESK?”

We all look for ways to increase our productivity and to become healthier people.

Could a standing desk be the answer to both of these desires at the same time?

Unfortunately, the jury is still out on any definitive answer that will widely apply to everyone.

However, there is a wealth of knowledge out there that measures and compares the health and productivity factors of standing desks.

Next, let’s dive into the standing research and try to find an answer of our own!

INTRODUCTION

Of course, a standing desk is a desk designed to be used while standing up, as opposed to a desk you would normally sit at in a chair.

There are many different reasons why people are flocking to standing desks in the past couple of years, most of which relate to perceived benefits that standing desks are believed to supply, including: A hoped increase in general healthiness, related to being on

one’s feet more often and not constantly sitting in a chair for long periods of time.

A hoped increase in productivity and engagement with tasks.

However, some are simply looking for a more space-efficient option to tidy up a crowded workspace.

WHAT’S A STANDING DESK?

There are many perceived health benefits to using a standing desk.

On top of the litany of ailments that you’d avoid by not sitting on your butt for 8 hours at a time, there is also research that suggests that using a standing desk could potentially keep you from becoming obese, as well as reducing your likelihood for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer!

However, these results should be taken with a grain of salt: simply purchasing a standing desk and standing in front of it won’t magically improve your health all on its own.

A standing desk is just one part of a healthy lifestyle, a phenomenon that should be taken into account when examining the findings of this study.

HEALTH BENEFITS

While the health benefits of a standing desk seem to be a bit up in the air, the productivity benefits speak for themselves.

According to a study from one American university (Texas A&M), student tests subjects who used standing desks were found to have 12 percent greater on-task engagement than their seated counterparts.

When calculated, this equals an increase of 7 minutes of engagement per hours, which is certainly impressive.

It is certainly much harder to doze off during the middle of the day if you are already standing up!

PRODUCTIVITY BENEFITS

The main concern about standing desks is that standing, for the same duration as sitting, can actually be just as harmful.

According to biochemist Katy Bowman: “Standing, like sitting, is a static position…swapping one static position for another isn’t as big of a step toward healthy as it might seam. You’re still not moving as much.”

So in addition to using a standing desk, get up and move! Otherwise, you aren’t receiving any health benefit from your standing desk.

CONCERNS

At the end of the day, a standing desk should be a push in the right direction to change your frame of mind and lead to further, beneficial changes to your health and productivity.

Therefore, if you are up for the change in lifestyle, a standing desk is a great place to start! Otherwise, you might be wasting your time.

IS A STANDING DESK RIGHT FOR YOU?