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Benefits of Using a Standing Desk

One of the biggest causes of back pain and back issues is bad posture – and for many people they fall victim to bad posture during working hours when they’re either slumped into a bad chair, or slouched over a laptop or computer.

We don’t realise the effect this can have on our backs, but when you’re spending 8 hours (or more) a day hunched over a desk, it can certainly have detrimental side-effects.

One of the ways you can begin to improve your posture, is by investing in a standing desk. Standing desks have been around for many decades (especially popular with designers and illustrators) but it hasn’t been until recent years that standing desks have become more mainstream in regular offices.

In countries such as Denmark, companies are actually required to provide employees with desks that convert from sitting to standing, so that employees have the option to choose which position they’d rather work in day by day. Whilst this is certainly the ideal situation, it’s not possible for everyone – and in the UK there aren’t any requirements around desk and chair quality.

So what are the benefits of a standing desk? Keep reading to find out…

Decreased back and neck pain

Over time, using a standing desk can help ease back and neck pain. There have been many studies to support this, including the study called “Take-a-Stand Project” in 2011. This particular study found that participants of the study who spend approximately an hour of their day standing up, experienced a 54% reduction in upper back and neck pain. That’s quite a considerable amount, and the study showed dramatic results. Having the option to stand for part of your day could have the same effect on you.

Lower risk of heart disease

You wouldn’t think a simple change from a sitting desk to a standing desk could affect your heart, but it does and studies have proved it. This link has actually been researched many time, and one of the most famous studies took place In 1953 where a selection of bus conductors were studied. Of those that took part, the ones who stood all day had half the risk of heart disease-related deaths than those who were seated. Similar studies have been repeated since, all with similar findings. Generally a sedentary lifestyle is considered closely linked with cardiovascular mortality.

Standing desks burn more calories

If you’re looking to improve health and well-being across lots of areas of your life, a standing desk might be able to help you. For people who are overweight or obese, a standing desk can help burn additional calories, which can go onto contribute to weight loss. For people at an ideal weight, it can help maintain your weight and avoid obesity or weight problems. By standing at your desk instead of sitting, it’s approximated that you’ll burn an additional 50 calories per hour, which all adds up over time.

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