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Should You Try a Standing Desk?

We’ve known for some time that sitting all day is bad for our health. To combat that, health experts have told us to get up from our desk more often – and ensure we fit exercise into every day. And then there are standing desks, which promise to counteract many of the effects of seated deskwork.

But are standing desks worth the investment?

What is a standing desk?

A standing desk, as the name suggests, lets you work while standing up. They’re often adjustable, so you can work at different heights – and sit down when you need to.

Here are a few reasons why you might consider a standing desk:

Avoid obesity

Regular exercise is still considered the best way to maintain a healthy weight – or shift unwanted kilos. But standing has also been shown to risk of obesity. A simple explanation is that we burn more calories standing than sitting – more than 170 calories in fact.

A Mayo Clinic study also found that among workers who added 1,000 to their daily diet, those who sat less didn’t gain any weight – compared to those who sat for longer periods of time.

Lower your risk of heart disease and cancer

Numerous studies have shown how standing can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. One done on bus conductors showed that those who stood all day had half the risk of heart disease-related deaths compared to conductors who sat.

Another found that 43,000 cases of colon cancer and 49,000 cases of breast cancer were caused by long periods of sitting. Researchers aren’t exactly sure why this is the case, but they believe it could be because a C-reactive protein is more prevalent in people who sit for prolonged periods.

Enjoy better posture

If you’re reading this sitting down, observe your posture. As I write, my legs are crossed, I’m slumped down in my chair, and my shoulders are hunched. Not exactly the ideal posture for all-day deskwork!

That’s where a standing desk indisputably trumps a standard one. If it’s set up correctly, you can look forward to a straighter spine, less hunching and overall better posture (as well as a stronger core). Some studies have even found standing desks can minimise back pain.

As you can see, there are many good reasons to try a standing desk. Of course everyone is different, so you might like to try one for yourself and see if you prefer it to sitting down to work.

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References

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