A typical 9-5 job requires long working hours that entail sitting down for extended periods. Health can quickly take a backseat due to the mental exhaustion after nine hours, and there is a possibility that you are even sitting down reading this article!
2p2play/Shutterstock: Standing desks for productive work
Not many people have the privilege of having an active job that allows them a flexible schedule to pursue self-care. If your back hurts all the time and you are just tired of sitting down all day, standing desks might be the best solution.
Benefits of Standing Desks
Out rightly, these desks help you be more free and active. A whopping 68% of the American workforce sits down for elongated hours.
Admittedly, it doesn’t require a doctor’s consultation to figure out that being inactive is not suitable for health— it puts your heart, spine, and bones at risk.
Standing desks induce energy and banish lethargy. It also gets the blood flow going, which helps the body feel more awake and less stressed. If you already suffer from a health condition that relates to the back or bad posture, then this option is ideal.
fizkes/Shutterstock: Avoid back pain with standing desks
Even after taking all the necessary precautions, people tend to slouch, affecting the spinal cord in the long run.
Comparison
The next question that people tend to ask is – Are they better when compared to regular sitting desks? Experts are divided on the opinions.
While there is no denying that standing desks do have health benefits, an ergonomic seating expert weighed in that it probably will not matter if you are standing or sitting. If you are stationary in one place for 8 hours or so, it will have side-effects.
So, unless you are pedaling or running a marathon in between sitting or standing, there isn’t much difference.
The best way to a healthy mind and body is to take regular breaks for walking or stretching. It can be easily achieved after it gets incorporated into the daily routine.
Take a short walk while you are on a call or mulling over some thoughts; the fresh air and circulation have stimulating effects on the brain.
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock: Walk around to avoid back injuries
Any movement is good compared to no movement at all, and it also helps in keeping a good posture.
Standing desks do seem ingenious and unique; there is still a long way to figure out the details of the whole concept. If you are someone who has tried sitting all day long, it couldn’t hurt to try another way, but it is entirely up to you!