If you’ve worked in an office for any length of time, you will almost certainly have had some kind of ache or pain related to your workstation. We can talk about having the right workstation layout as much as we like, but at some stage, you’re not going to sit properly, your office desk isn’t going to be laid out right, or you’re just going to sit there typing away for too long.
Office desks can be painful, when they are not organised and ergonomically designed.
Look at it this way - if you’re sitting at your desk, working on your computer for around 7 hours a day, 5 days per week, can you imagine the strain and stress you’re putting on your lower back and neck? It’s quite a lot, if you’re not aware. This is the very reason why it’s vital you get up and walk around, do some stretches, some desk exercises, and always remember to take your breaks.
In addition to this, more and more offices are looking into ways to reduce aches and pains, as well as increasing productivity for the organisation overall. One surprising area, which many businesses are trying out, and finding great success with, relates to height adjustable desks.
The ability to adjust the height of a desk means it can be used for more than one person (ideal for hot-desking orientated organisations), and it can be adjusted for the specific measurements and dimensions of the person sitting there. This means less chance of aches and pains, and more productivity because the staff member is comfortable and supported at all times. Another key point related to these height adjustable desks is that they can be used in a new working practice, called ‘sit and stand’.
What is ‘Sit and Stand’?
There are many reasons why standing desks can be beneficial. Sitting in one position throughout the day is detrimental to health. The effects this has on the musculoskeletal system are quite damaging, but it can also lead to a major drop in productivity, because let’s face it, it’s quite mind numbing being glued to your office chairs all day!
The ‘sit and stand’ idea means that you can do your work either sat down, or stood up, and you can vary between the two throughout the day. Of course, if you stand up to do your job and your office desk isn’t adjustable, you’re going to be bent over and it’s going to cause more harm than good. A height adjustable desk however, can easily be moved between a sitting and standing position for that particular person, and the benefits of both methods are within easy reach.
So, why is sitting and standing a good idea? To understand this, we need to think about why sitting in one position is so damaging, and the benefits of this new way of working.
Sitting Down For Long Periods of Time is Damaging to Health
We’ve said this already, but sitting down is not good for you over a long period of time. Not only are you missing out on physical exercise, which leads to weight gain, but you’re putting strain on the lower back and neck, which can lead to chronic pain conditions in the future. This is not a road you want to go down!
It is thought that sitting down for more than 8 hours per day, over the long-term, could contribute to premature death by as much as a huge 15%. That’s a lot! The reason is because when you’re sitting down, your mind might be active, your fingers might be going super-fast on that keyboard, but the rest of your body isn’t doing anything other than, well, just sitting there really. Regular exercise is vital, but that doesn’t always mean hitting the gym, it means being generally active throughout the day.
Standing up Periodically Boosts Your Productivity And Focus
Sitting down might feel comfortable at first, especially if you have fancy designer office chairs, but after a while, you’re not only going to notice your body hurting, but your brain too. By standing up for a while, you’re allowing your blood circulation to have a major boost, and the change of position will in turn boost your focus. All of this is ideal for productivity, because when you’re sat still and your mind is wavering, you’re not going to be working at your greatest level.
Some studies have shown that by standing up for a period of time, you can improve your energy and concentration by around 10%. This is all down to the fact that when you stand up, your body boosts its blood flow, so your circulation is improved, and that brings fresh blood and oxygen to your brain.
On the flip side, when you’re sat down, your body could potentially think it’s time to go to sleep! Everything slows down, including your brain function, which is partly the reason for those mid-morning and midafternoon energy and concentration slumps. Keeping your body active, by standing and sitting in equal measures, can help you get more work done, more effectively.
Sitting Increases Weight, Standing Reduces Weight
When you’re looking into office space planning, bear in mind that having height adjustable desks for your staff helps them with their weight. Yes, really!
Sitting down for long periods of time can increase weight because you are literally inactive. During this time, you’re likely to become a little bored and reach for unhealthy snacks to get through the day. All of this helps those scales to move upwards, whilst also reducing the production of an important enzyme in your body, called lipoprotein lipase. When this is in short supply, your ability to burn fat is reduced too.
In reverse, standing can help you to decrease your weight, because you’re active. It’s that simple. You’re burning calories by switching positions and holding that standing position for a little while. You don’t need to jump up and down to burn those calories either, you simply need to stand. By doing this, you’re burning fat, and that helps to regulate weight, and can even help you lose it, in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise plan.
Standing at Your Desk Can Reduce Pains
We mentioned earlier that sitting down for long periods of time puts pressure on your back and neck and can cause pain. Conversely, standing up can reverse that process.
Periodic standing can help to reduce lower back pain in particular, but neck pain also, if you throw in some neck rolls whilst you’re standing. Of course, you shouldn’t lean too far into the other direction and stand for too long, but switching between the two positions, sitting and standing, could have some major benefits in terms of reducing the chances of aches and pains occurring.
Height Adjustable Desks Create a Flexible Working Solution
Aside from the health point of view, many organisations who have used height adjustable desks as part of a sit and stand routine have found that productivity is boosted, not only because of the ease of position changing, but also because it creates a more dynamic, collaborative workplace. Employees feel more able to get up and walk around, share ideas, discuss projects with other colleagues, and this can only be positive for the workplace in terms of brainstorming new endeavors.
Giving your staff a boost of energy by allowing them to sit, stand, and walk around means that they are going to be more dynamic in their thinking, and their performance is going to be higher in quality as a result. Flexibility boosts the mind and body, and all of this is beneficial in many different ways. The ability to sit or stand with ease, literally by changing the position of a desk, gives employees the freedom to choose, and allows them to change the way they work throughout the day, according to how they are feeling.
Productivity and overall morale will therefore be on the rise!
If you’re thinking about using height adjustable desk solutions in your office, it’s a good idea to shop around and find the best choice for your needs. For instance, if you’re in the capital, search for office furniture in London online and narrow down your search. Office furniture stores like us at Calibre, stock many different styles, choices, and colours to fit in with the current theme of your office, and if you take the time to find your ideal product, it will last you much longer too. Cost effectiveness is key!
How do you feel about sitting and standing during your working day? Is it something you do on a regular basis, and how does it affect your productivity levels? Perhaps it’s something you’ve never tried before, and in that case, are you keen to see if it works for you?
The ability to work the way you want, according to the way you feel, is an ideal option, but it’s also vital for overall health and well-being too.
Drop us a comment and let us know what your views are on standing whilst working, and whether you’ve noticed a big difference in your health, focus, and productivity levels.