2023-09-21 06:56:48
“Sit-stand” desks, as their name suggests, not only allow you to work seated, but also, by deploying using a cylinder or via a simple switch, to be able to work standing.
This type of transformable furniture has become widely available in recent years, under the pretext that spending your working day standing would be better for your health. But is this really the case? Does prolonged standing expose you to other risks? Is it better to buy a sit-stand desk, or get rid of yours, if you already have one? Here’s what the latest scientific research tells us.
Spending too much time sitting: what are the dangers?
In our daily lives, many of us spend the majority of our waking hours in a seated position. Recently, a new review of scientific literature has once once more hit the nail on the head regarding the deleterious effects on health of prolonged and uninterrupted periods spent in a sitting position.
People who spend a lot of time sitting have a greater chance of develop chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease or certain cancers, and having a shorter life expectancy. Prolonged sitting can also lead to musculoskeletal problemsparticularly around the neck and back.
This situation is even more harmful in the case of people who do very little exercise, or who do not respect the physical activity recommendations.
A point to remember is that if being physically active does indeed allow you to reduce the risks associated with a sedentary lifestylethis is not systematically enough to completely counterbalance the negative effects of long daily hours spent in a sitting position.
Spending excessive time sitting is more harmful for people who exercise little.
Standing for long periods of time can also be harmful
Spending long, prolonged periods of time standing can also have negative health effects, particularly from a musculoskeletal perspective. Standing for long periods of time can cause musculoskeletal problems such as muscle fatigue, leg swelling, varicose veins, as well as the occurrence of pain or discomfort in the lower back and lower limbs (hips, knees, ankles and feet).
Recent research suggests that limit standing to regarding 40 minutes at a time would reduce the risk of developing muscle and joint pain. This applies to people who may or may not have experienced symptoms previously.
Note that not everyone will necessarily experience these musculoskeletal symptoms following standing for prolonged periods, with some people being more resistant to prolonged periods than others. People who have experienced pain following standing for a long time are more likely to experience it once more including following taking a sitting break to recover.
Break up with long periods of sitting
Reduce or discontinue sitting getting up or moving around can not only improve blood circulation, but might also have a positive impact on metabolism or heart health, even mental health and life expectancy.
Models indicate that replacing, each day, one hour of sitting with an hour spent standing can lead to improvements in waist circumference, fat levels and cholesterol.
The benefit is even greater when the sitting position is replaced by walking or moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity.
Disrupt sitting by walking or doing another activity.
Interrupt long periods of sitting by two minutes of walking every 20 minutes or five minutes of walking every 30 minutes can also improve blood sugar, fat and cholesterol levels.
Other work indicates that interrupting long periods of sitting with three minutes of light walking or simple resistance exercisessuch as squats or calf raises, every 30 minutes is also effective.
Sit-stand desks
Sit-stand desks can be an effective way to reduce the time spent sitting during a working day. Users of sit-stand desks also tend to alternate between sitting and standing postures, rather than standing for long periods of time.
However, establishing new working habits is not always easy, and in the long term, many users tend to return to a seated position.
We must also be aware that, in the case of office workers, the use of sit-stand furniture is not sufficient to really reduce the effects of time spent in a sitting position. Employers and organizations must integrate this into their internal policies, work environments and their corporate cultureto ensure that initiatives aimed at “sitting less and moving more” are effectively implemented and maintained effectively over the long term.
Get rid of your sit-stand desk or keep it?
If you already have a sit-stand desk, the decision to keep it or get rid of it will depend on several factors. First of all, evaluate your habits: do you regularly use your desk while standing, or do you mainly favor sitting?
Your comfort also comes into play. Are you uncomfortable or do you feel particularly tired when you work standing (or sitting, etc.) for long periods? If this is the case, you may need to adjust your sit-stand routine, or change the ergonomics of your desk by including additional supports (adding a floor mat to make standing more comfortable, or a footrest to improve your seating position, for example).
Another tip: evaluate the ergonomics of your sit-stand desk. Is it properly configured to work so safe and comfortable?.
Think regarding your health needs. Will reducing and interrupting prolonged sitting by standing alleviate sitting discomfort? Will it help improve your metabolic and heart health? Getting up and moving around regularly throughout the workday can be an alternative to achieving similar benefits, regardless of the type of desk you use.
If you have a health problem or persistent musculoskeletal disorders, consult a healthcare professional or ask your employer to have your workstation evaluated by an ergonomics specialist. Their advice can help you make the right decision regarding the benefit of moving to a sit-stand desk, and how to make the best use of it.
Finally, it must be kept in mind that acquiring such a device represents a significant investment, whether in terms of cost or space. If you don’t use it often in a standing position, this type of desk may not have any real added value in your case.
There are several things you’ll need to consider to determine if standing at work is worth it.
Practicing regular physical activity remains the most important
THE authors of the Australian physical activity guidelinesjust like those in the directives of theWorld Health Organization, recommend limiting the time spent sitting. Interrupting periods of sitting and interspersing periods of physical activity – even at low intensity – clearly has health benefits.
The WHO further recommends that adults consider “doing more than the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity” to reduce the harmful consequences resulting from long periods of sitting.
This is the most important point to remember: simply standing is not enough to reduce the harms of prolonged sitting. We also need to move more.
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