Ergomotion – 5 Shocking Health Benefits Of Sit-Stand Desks
Let’s be real for a moment; it’s no secret that sitting for hours upon hours every day is not exactly healthy. In fact, those not taking advantage of electric sitting to standing desks (or adjustable standing desks at all, for that matter) are at a massive risk of things like high blood pressure, joint stiffness, poor circulation, abnormal cholesterol levels, weight gain, you name it.
And not to freak you out, but Mayo Clinic found in 13 different studies that those who sit for 8+ hours every day without any physical activity tend to have lower lifespans.
Couple that with the reality that 49.4% of Australians ages 18-64 have a job where they are mostly sitting, it can easily become a downward spiral into a pool of health concerns on a country-wide level. But want to know a secret? These far too common health issues may be prevalent for frequent sitters, but you can easily regain control of your health and reduce/eliminate those risks entirely by simply…standing up.
Top 5 Health Benefits Of Electric Sitting To Standing Desks
- Say Goodbye To Anterior Pelvic Tilt
Did you know that anterior pelvic tilt (caused by sitting too much without stretch breaks) is one of the main causes of postural issues that lead to back/neck pain? By definition, anterior pelvic tilt is when your pelvis is rotated forward, which causes your spine to curve. And you guessed it, resulting in some painful back and neck adversities along with imbalanced posture, muscle strains, and a bulging abdomen.
The good news here is that anterior pelvic tilt can be fixed with the right stretches and exercises, and can be prevented from coming back by using electric sitting to standing desks. In general, adjustable standing desks allow you to stretch your spine and pelvic area without strain and helps strengthen hip mobility – making standing in-between sitting the perfect blend to combat exiting anterior pelvic tilt and keeping it away for good.
- Can Help You Lose Weight (Yes, You Did Read That Right)
I want to start this one off with a quick disclaimer that electric sitting to standing desks should not be replaced with exercise. Staying active, getting your heart rate up, and building muscle are all very important aspects of living a healthy lifestyle, which is something that standing alone cannot compete with. HOWEVER…you best bet that standing can help keep you on track with your weight loss/weight maintenance goals for the mere fact that standing burns on average 100-200 calories per hour. Doing a little math, that equates to about 500-1,000 calories each week burned by just standing for one hour during your working day. Again, adjustable standing desks should not be seen as fitness equipment per se, but there is no denying they are a powerhouse calorie-burning asset to keep you propelling forward on your physical health.
- Keeps Circulation Flowing Nicely
This one likely may go without saying, but having the ability to both sit and stand in the office or at home is a wonderful way to keep healthy circulation going. Though sitting has its perks here and there (like giving your legs and feet a rest), sitting too much can cause a discrepancy in blood flow throughout the body. This is especially true when it comes to your legs, where prolonged sitting can lead to peripheral neuropathy, varicose veins, swollen ankles, and in worse case scenarios, blood clots. So, give your body the flow boost it needs by standing up every so often with a quick adjustment of your desk. Doing so enables you to promote better circulation to your extremities, improves focus/productivity, and ultimately helps keep you healthy on the inside.
Psst – Don’t forget to stretch too!
- Lowers Blood Sugar Levels & Risk Of Type II Diabetes
First and foremost, blood sugar and Type II diabetes are very much correlated. The higher your blood pressure is consistently, the higher your risk of developing Type II diabetes. Now, it is very normal for blood sugar to rise after eating a meal during the day. But what if I said standing can help your body dispose of those sugars into your skeletal muscle much easier than if you were sitting? Though it may seem like such a simple movement, taking advantage of standing with an electric sitting to standing desks can influence muscle contractions, increase insulin activity, and even glucose uptake. This means that standing not only can keep blood sugar levels at bay but can also help eliminate your risk of Type II diabetes altogether.
PS: Keep in mind that standing is not a fool-proof way to avoid diabetes or high blood pressure. But that coupled with a healthy diet, and perhaps some gym time here and there, you are setting your health up for a positive trajectory for the long-term.
- Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease
Slightly tied to the benefit above, lower blood sugar levels of standing can also equate to much better heart health. Sitting for hours a day without breaks or any outside physical activity, your body’s production of lipoprotein lipase drops by a whopping 90%, making it very hard for your body to use fat (thus, it gets stored). When this happens, it can also spark insulin resistance, leading to Type II diabetes and obesity – the two main factors that lead to heart disease.
Tying that back to adjustable standing desks, these assets allow you to implement regular bouts of standing day to day, leading to lower blood sugar levels, lower “bad” cholesterol levels, and reduced risk of weight gain from the minor yet highly impactful added muscle activity it takes to stand. Collectively, these positive health catalysts from standing regularly translates to a lower risk of heart disease, something that has been extensively proven via studies like The Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study.
Ready To Take A Stand On Your Health?
In the end, we humans were not meant to sit all day long. Even more, we were also not meant to stand all day long. The solution? To give yourself the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds by investing in electric sitting to standing desks. Better yet, doing so from a longstanding brand that values your health and productivity as much as you do.
Established 17+ years ago with a mission to prove there is a healthier way to work, us here at Ergomotion are proud adjustable standing desks experts featuring a massive inventory of electric sitting to standing desks that will significantly reshape the trajectory of your health. All in all, there is an old saying that when you have your health, you have everything. And when you are ready to take a stand on your health and see just how transformative sit-stand desks are, we are just one call away from helping you make that happen.
