How Important is Standing Desk as Office Design?

Studies were conducted to validate the harmful effects of prolonged sitting to health and performance of workers. Extended sitting may lead to obesity, metabolic syndrome, increased blood pressure, and excess body fats. The list even included cardiovascular disease and cancer. Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota recommended periodic standing as the solution to counter the adverse effects of too much sitting.

MOVEMENT IN STANDING DESK

Aside from periodic standing, Dr. Alan Hedge, the director of Human Factors and Ergonomics Research at Cornell University introduce the use of standing desk as part of his sit to stand programs. Standing desks create movement in the workplace. This movement will make workers be more alert, increase concentration, and improve their memory. For beginners, shifting to a standing desk converter may be awkward yet challenging because this will give them a lifestyle change as opposed to the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Too much standing will lead to swelling of the legs, varicose veins, and nocturnal leg cramps. These effects can be prevented by the proper use of a standing desk.

Posture is important whether standing or sitting. With regards to right posture, Dr. Josephine Chau of Sydney University says to “every 30 minutes, check your posture to make sure if you’re not slouching.”

THE 30 MINUTE RULE

Dr. Alan Hedge introduces the 30-minute rule in sit to stand working programs. This is done by starting with 20 minutes sitting in good posture, 8 minutes in standing, and 2 minutes of standing and moving, this includes gentle stretching, walking, and yoga poses. For one working day, it will give a total of 5 hours sitting, 16 sit to stand changes, 2 hours of standing and 0.5 hours of moving. The important thing to remember is the movement created by the 30-minute rule for sit to stand working programs. By following the sit-stand-stretch cycle, workers will be healthy, full of energy, and, therefore, it would increase productivity.