Stand up to well-being! How electric standing desks improve your health

You know that running, cycling to work, going to the gym regularly, and watching your diet has a positive effect on health.

What you may not have known is that even something as simple as standing up more can prevent a number of health issues!

It may not look like much, but standing can tangibly improve your health and wellbeing.

And while it may burn less energy compared to your nightly gym sesh or morning jog, it’s also much easier to fit into your routine (especially if your workplace uses electric standing desks).

Not to mention, it’s a huge step up from spending all day sitting!

Why Standing is good for your health 

Simple: it’s a form of exercise.

Sure, it might not be high-intensity exercise – however, many studies confirm that even low-level physical activity can potentially have wide-reaching consequences!

The more you stand up, the more your risk of heart disease goes down

According to research conducted by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, inactivity (such as prolonged sitting during the workday!) is one of the biggest risk factors in a range of health problems, including heart disease.

In fact, the study found that for participants between 30 and 80, inactivity and sitting had a bigger impact than smoking!

Here’s the thing, though: exercise doesn’t have to be high-intensity to benefit you – all that time spent standing adds up, and can potentially have an even greater effect.

According to a 2015 study published by the European Heart Journal, spending more time on your feet has similar effects to regular exercise.

Specifically, it was found to have helped control sugar and cholesterol levels in participants, thereby decreasing the risk for heart disease, diabetes and other chronic health conditions.

How standing can help you lose weight

Ask any personal trainer, and they’ll tell you the same thing: weight loss comes down to calories in vs. calories out.

The maths says that as long as you’re using more calories than you consume, you will lose weight.

While exercise and diet help, at the end of the day, they’re all about shifting the calorie equation (exercise increases calorie burn, while diet reduces calorie intake).

Even simple behaviour such as standing can increase your calorie burn rate – conversely, inactivity can reduce it, increasing your risk of unwanted weight gain.

Standing for an hour can burn anywhere between 100 and 200 calories – if you spend even half a workday standing, you could potentially burn anywhere between 400 and 800 calories a day, without going to the gym!

Standing while working may not be a major factor in losing weight. However, it can build more muscle and help lose fat in small increments, making it a great complement to other weight loss strategies.

Standing more at work

Most of us spend our working days seated – naturally, the office is the first place to look when it comes to finding ways to incorporate more standing into our daily routines.

But how can you integrate standing in your work routine?

Well, for starters you could:

• Stretch a little during breaks – grab a mug, take a short trip to the pantry, and drink your coffee standing
• Stretch your legs regularly – try standing during phone calls
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Walk up to coworkers to talk instead of using email or IM
• Leave your office during lunch breaks – even for a 5-minute walk around the block
• Stand while doing your work with an electric standing desk

Of course, as with all things, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing!

Are there perils in standing too much?

While we may have just spent a bunch of time extolling the benefits of standing over sitting, it would be remiss of us to ignore the potential health consequences of standing too much!

Just as how prolonged sitting comes with many negative health consequences, extended standing can also be problematic too.

According to some health experts, excessive standing places strain on the leg muscles and veins. This can result in varicose veins, and can also wear your leg muscles, causing muscle pain.

Does this mean that standing is unhealthy? Far from it – while there are hazards if you stand too much, it’s still a world better than the alternative.

Don’t forget, sitting is the bad guy here!

Remember that standing can do a world of good for our bodies. But there is a secret…

What’s the secret? Switching between sitting and standing with an electric standing desk

Basically, cycling between sitting and standing throughout the day gives you the best of both worlds.

You can enjoy the benefits of increased standing and reduces sedentary behaviour, while also protecting yourself from the potential damage you can cause your leg muscles.

It’s because of this that electric standing desks are quickly becoming a workplace trend!

If you’re going to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the workday, you’re going to need a desk that you can adjust to accommodate your different stances.

While many traditional standing desks can be height adjusted, it’s a manual process. You’ll have to fiddle with knobs and dials, potentially taking minutes of your time.

The outcome is a desk that has the capability to move, but cumbersome operation eventually leads to it becoming just another stagnant desk.

By contrast, electric standing desks make the transition effortless – all you’ll have to do is flick a switch. Quiet internal motors will do the rest, automatically lowering or raising your desk much quicker than could be done by hand.

Ergomotion’s electric standing desks even allow you to save your preferred heights – perfect if your desk is shared between multiple people or shifts!

Explore our electric standing desks in Melbourne

Stand up for your health with Ergomotion!

Our mission is simple: to transform Australian offices into healthier, more ergonomic places to work.

To achieve that, we produce a wide variety of different ergonomic office equipment – electric standing desks included.

Our team makes standing desks in Melbourne and ships Australia-wide, combining expert engineering and workmanship with reliable, high-quality electrical components from Europe.

With a wide range of standing desk platforms and optional extras, our team can customise your desk for you and your office.

Whether it’s a one-off for a home office or a large order for an entire office building, don’t hesitate – call Ergomotion on (03) 9579 1454 or click here to reach out online.