7 benefits of standing desks(1)

Sitting too much is bad for your health. People who sit a lot every day are at increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and premature death. In addition, sitting alone burns very few calories, and many studies have linked it to weight gain and obesity. For office workers, this is a major problem because they sit for most of the day. Fortunately, standing desks are becoming more and more popular.

A standing desk, also known as a lifting desk, is basically a desk that allows you to stand comfortably while working. Many modern versions are adjusdesk, so you can change the height of the desk and alternate between sitting and standing positions. These are called height-adjusdesk desks or sitting desks. Although research is still in its early stages, using a standing desk can indeed bring impressive health benefits. It can also increase productivity.

At least, using this type of desk can partially offset the harmful effects of sitting too much. Standing first can reduce the risk of weight gain and obesity.

Weight gain is ultimately due to the intake of more calories than burns. Conversely, burning more calories than you will cause weight loss. Although exercise is the most effective way to burn calories quickly, it is also beneficial to simply choose to stand instead of sitting.

In fact, compared to an afternoon of sedentary work, the equivalent amount of time spent standing has been shown to burn 170 times the extra calories. Just at your desk every day, the calories burned every week increase by almost 1,000 calories. This difference in calories may be one of the reasons that sitting for a long time is closely related to obesity and metabolic diseases.

Generally speaking, the more blood sugar levels rise after a meal, the more harmful it is to your health. This is especially true for those with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. In a small study of 10 office workers, standing for 180 minutes after lunch reduced the increase in blood sugar by 43%, while the waiting time was different.

Both groups took the same steps, indicating that the smaller peaks were due to standing rather than extra body movement around the office. Another study involving 23 office workers found that alternating between standing and sitting every 30 minutes during the entire working day can reduce peak blood glucose by an average of 11.1%.

The harmful effects of sitting after meals may help explain why sedentary time is associated with a 112% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that using a standing desk at work can lower blood sugar levels, especially after lunch.

The idea that standing is good for heart health was first proposed in 1953. A study found that bus conductors who stood all day had half the risk of heart disease-related deaths compared to colleagues sitting in the driver's seat. Since then, scientists have gained a deeper understanding of the effects of sitting posture on heart health, and long sitting is thought to increase the risk of heart disease by as much as 147%. It is so harmful that even an hour of vigorous exercise cannot compensate for the negative effects of sitting all day.