Not Just a Trend: Standing Desks in the Workplace
Just recently, I was doing some research on standing desks, keeping up-to-date with new standing desk trends, experiments, and studies, and just generally finding out what others were saying about the desks, their own health, and their workplace culture.
One such sentiment I came across seemed a little unfair. It was an online article that was taking quite a jibe at standing desks and the culture they promote at work. Standing desks were referred to as purely a status symbol amongst the tech offices of the Silicon Valley, the high-tech region (home of Facebook, Google, Apple and eBay, to name just a few) in Northern California.
Sure, standing desks are prominent across these well-known workplaces, but it’s the conversation based around these workplaces that have helped popularise and educate – on a global scale, no less! – the influence and benefits of an active office.
Standing desks aren’t a post-2010 fad or trendy movement
One of the oldest and most well known studies that compared sedentary work to active work was a study published by The Lancet that measured the correlation between physical activity at work and coronary heart disease. This study involved drivers and conductors from the London Transport Service.
The two variables differed in that bus drivers sat for 90 per cent of their day while bus conductors stood and moved up and down stairs (to the tune of about 600 steps!) during their day. The study was conducted in 1949 and data was published in 1953 indicating that conductors had “fewer than half the heart attacks of their sedentary colleagues”.
Jeremy Morris, the British epidemiologist who conducted this study, is credited as “the guy who did the systematic research that invented the whole field of physical activity epidemiology”. He also conducted many follow up studies.
And the correlation between physical activity and health goes back even further than that. It’s speculated that some of the first recognition of health and activity dates way back to the fifth century BC by Greek physician Hippocrates. He wrote:
“All parts of the body, if used in moderation and exercised in labors to which each is accustomed,
become thereby healthy and well developed and age slowly; but if they are unused and left idle,
they become liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly.” (Source)
They aren’t just for the big guys in Silicon Valley…
…But if anything, it’s thanks to them, as well as various publications highlighting the reasons behind this movement, that has educated the world on the perils of a sedentary lifestyle and the benefits of breaking up your day with both sitting and standing.
Sure, the big guys in Silicon Valley are using standing desks (and they have no doubt contributed to their popularity), but so are many others. It is thanks to the buzz generated by these companies that has helped increase awareness and encourage people like you and I to take preventative, smart steps towards our health and lifestyle.
Are you sitting right now? Does your lower back ache? Are your eyes drooping, is it hard to concentrate and are your shoulders sore? An electronic height adjustable desk could transform your sluggish body into a body that practices good posture, promotes blood flow, and can help improve attentiveness and concentration. And all of this can be achieved in seconds with the push of a button.
They aren’t just a status symbol…
…rather, they’re a smart approach to your health, promotes a healthier workplace, and is a great catalyst in encouraging conversation and change.
You shouldn’t have to wait for a sore back or bad leg to start standing during your workday. Take preventative action before injuries occur. Stand up for you health – view our electric sit stand desks or contact us today to further discuss your and your business’ needs!
