Take a Stand: 8 Reasons You Need to Start Using a Standing Desk at Work
Nearly three-quarters of American men, and 60% of women, are obese or overweight.
Weight gain is not just a cosmetic problem. It can be the cause of many severe, and even deadly, health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary artery disease, heart attacks, strokes, and cancer.
Out of concern for their long-term health, many folks go on diets or develop exercise plans. Eating right can help you lose weight, develop energy, and improve your heart health.
Exercising strengthens your heart, improves your circulation, and helps lower your risk of heart attack diseases. An active individual is thinner, more alert, and at a decreased risk for health problems.
In recent years, the standing desk has gained popularity. It is believed that alternating sitting time with standing during the workday can help folks to lose weight, gain energy, and decrease their risk of certain diseases.
Why should you consider investing in a standing desk? Let’s take a look.
1. Weight Loss
Standing instead of sitting can help you burn an extra 170 calories per day, which is an extra 1,000 calories per week.
Your body stores any access calories you consume as fat. When we aren’t burning calories as quickly, you may find extra padding appearing on your waist, hips, and backside.
Activity, however, increases your metabolism. Folks who alternate standing with sitting may see a decrease in their jean sizes before long.
If you stand for three hours during five days each week, you will burn 30,000 calories more during the course of the year. You can lose up to 8 pounds in 12 months. Spending at least part of your working time in a standing position makes a standing desk a worthwhile investment.
2. Lower Blood Sugar
Standing, rather than sitting, after lunch can reduce your post-meal blood sugar surge by an average of 11%. This is true even if you are alternating between standing and sitting every 30 minutes.
Standing for a full two-and-a-half hours after lunch was proven to lower the spike by 43%. If you want to burn sugar calories after your meal, and don’t have time for a walk, a standing desk can be a great way to keep your body moving during the work week.
Standing desks can be adjusted so that you can stand comfortably for part of the day. Find your height before you purchase one by using a desk height calculator.
3. Lower Risk of Heart Disease
Heart disease is the number 1 leading cause of death in the United States. It occurs when plaque builds up stiffens artery walls. Heart disease is often caused by an unhealthy diet, obesity, and lack of exercise.
Prolonged sitting can actually increase your risk of heart disease by 147%.
In a recent study, bus conductors who stood all day long were found to have half the risk of heart-disease related deaths than sitting drivers.
A standing desk can keep you healthy in a similar way, allowing you to burn more calories while you spend most of the day on your feet.
4. Reduced Stress and Anxiety
There have been many studies that show a relationship between a sedentary lifestyle and mental illness, including depression, stress, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
Those who utilized standing desks reported an 87% increase in energy and vigor throughout the day. They also reported less stress and fatigue.
When your body is active, your brain gets more of the blood flow and glucose metabolism it needs. This triggers the release of chemicals that can help put you in a good mood. Endorphins help minimize pain, and bring about feelings of euphoria and general well-being.
5. Improved Fat-Burning
After sitting for only one hour, your production of the fat-burning enzyme lipoprotein lipase, decreases as much as 90%. When you stand, your little fat-burning friends get moving again.
Sitting too much can cause you to burn fewer calories and lead to weight gain. Even if you are only alternating standing with sitting to give your feet a break, your metabolism can increase. You may even find that you can eat dessert once in awhile without that pushing feeling around your middle.
6. Increased Life-Expectancy
Those who have a sedentary lifestyle have a 49% greater chance of dying young than those who are active. Sitting for eight hours a day increases your risk of early death by 15%. If you sit for 11 hours each day, that number jumps to 40%.
Reducing your sitting time by 3 hours each day would raise the average American’s life expectancy by 2 years. Increasing the amount of time that you are standing instead of sitting will help keep your blood flowing and your heart healthy. It can also help to increase the probability that you will live a long, healthy life.
7. Lower Risk of Other Diseases
Sitting too much is linked to more than just obesity. Inactivity also increases your risk of breast and colon cancer by 25%. It raises your chance of getting diabetes by 27%.
The obesity that causes diabetes can be brought on by daily sugar spikes. You can lower the risk of these by alternating sitting with standing, particularly after eating. Remaining active will improve your overall health and decrease your risk of becoming ill later on.
8. Improved Workplace Environment
Standing colleagues are in a more friendly posture than their hunched-over coworkers. Installing standing desks in your workspace will lead to improved mood, visibility, and collegiality.
Invest in a Standing Desk
Standing desks can improve your health in a number of ways. You can look slimmer, feel healthier, and even live longer.
For more information, read our blog today.