Part of the: Office Desks Collection

We at JasonL Office Furniture are not scientist, but we sure as hell know that sitting all day is not great for you and your health. Yes we offer solutions such as our ergonomically certified office chairs to compensate for this reality but the real problem is sitting for 8 hours a day presents itself with some major health issues. So if you are considering buying a stand up desk here are some points worth thinking about.

Firstly, why is sitting so bad?

To be honest, too much of anything is not good but sitting for prolonged periods of time can directly impact your health and new studies have revealed that excessive sitting can increase our chances of disease and even death.

Body’s Reaction  

When you are seated the electrical activity in your muscles decrease, provoking a flow of harmful metabolic effects. Fewer calories are burned in your body and insulin efficiency also drops which in effect can increase the risk of diabetes. Enzymes that break down triglycerides and lipids also drop bringing levels of good (HDL) cholesterol down with them making obesity a concern too (Readers Digest).

Research

A growing body of research lately has revealed that stand up desks or ‘active desks’ may impact both physiological health and psychological performance resulting in increased focus and overall productivity. It was revealed that men who sit six hours or more a day have an overall death rate that’s 20 percent higher than men who only sit 3 hours or less, for women its 40 percent (James Levine, researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn). Some even say sitting is the new smoking! Absurd we admit but standing for eight hours a day isn’t the solution and doesn’t fix the problem either as prolonged standing causes health problems too.

Challenge

So the challenge is to find a happy medium between standing and sitting and incorporate movement into the office on a daily basis to improve health. A stand up desk can be a suggestion for those looking to incorporate movement into the work-stations but is definitely not the solution. The other challenge is to change our default settings as we are all accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle and transitioning to a stand up desk requires a conscious decision.

Start small 

Studies revealed that from simply standing, contracting muscles and moving every 20 minutes can benefit your body. It’s almost like a reset button when you stand up allowing your body to avoid any negative side effects from prolonged sitting as well as improving concentration. Set an alarm clock to remind you to simply start moving.

Stand Up Desk Range 

At JasonL we offer a wide range of adjustable sit stand desk solutions so it doesn’t have to be one way or the other. As I mentioned having both options and changing it up will improve overall health. Visit the JasonL website or call our friendly staff for expert advise. However, the important thing to remember is just because you are standing up doesn’t mean you don’t have to move. As I mentioned before standing for long periods of time also raises health concerns so remember to stretch, walk around and move.

Gel Mat

Use a gel or anti-fatigue mat to help alleviate pressure on your body and support your feet. This will enable you to stand for longer.

Correct Standing Position

 

Its imperative to have the correct standing position and right posture when using a stand up desk. Here is a guide for correct standing.

Correct Office Chair

JasonL also offers a range of height adjustable chairs helping you to incorporate the standing/sitting ratio, some even suggest a 70:30 split. Equipped with wheels this chair is perfect to get you moving and support your posture.