Working at a desk all day is how many of us make a living, but there's a price to be paid for this and unfortunately, that price is your health. Our desk jobs mean that we are stuck in office chairs for many hours each day, sitting and that means that our bodies are not in motion. It’s called a sedentary lifestyle and it is deadly.
A body in motion is a healthy body. When we are upright and moving, our circulation is good, our blood is pumping, we are building muscles, lubricating our joints and so much more. While a body not in motion... Well, as you can imagine everything slows down, our circulation suffers, we put on weight and we open ourselves up to a host of nasty diseases like obesity and diabetes for instance. Or as Isaac Newton once said, "An object in motion tends to stay in motion." Yes, that applies to our bodies as well. "Objects at rest tend to stay at rest." In this case that can have dire consequences. As in Rest In Peace. Isaac Newton was a very smart guy.
So What Can We Do?
We need to work after all and make a living. It would be nice if we could ditch our office jobs, but realistically that just isn’t going to happen anytime soon. We may not like it, but we need those desk jobs if we want to earn our pay. Well, there is a solution and it’s very simple. It has to do with your desk. Specifically, tossing your old desk aside and trying a standing desk. Standing desks are a healthier alternative to the desk you currently use daily. This is because these desks are adjustable so that you can choose either a height for standing or sitting. The idea is to get you on your feet more often.
You see, standing while you work keeps your body in motion and that is the exact opposite of the sedentary lifestyle you currently are experiencing at the office. The simple act of standing means that you are burning calories and your body is being active. Simply put, you are working out just by standing while you work. You may not be running a marathon, but your body is functioning and doing what it needs to do. I hate to be blunt, but the alternative is a time bomb that is killing you. So why not try something different?
But the question in most people's minds is "Will a standing desk really make me healthier?" Could it really be as simple as getting off of our butts? Nothing is that easy right? The short answer is yes, it is really true, but let me give you a few reasons why.
While you are standing for all of those work hours instead of sitting, you can do more than just stand there looking ahead at your monitor. You can do a number of things to move your body, even workout. Some people choose to set their standing desk at a sitting height so that they can sit on an exercise ball and bounce as they work. That's a good workout. Others keep it at standing height and jog in place while they work. Or groove to some music. I've even seen people using a treadmill attached to a standing desk.
You can do all kinds of things to have a more active lifestyle in this way. But even if you don't go the extra mile and all you want to do is stand, you are already getting healthier. If you want to learn more about these desks, have a look at good review sites where you will find some practical standing desk information and advice.
Standing desks will also help with those shoulder, neck and joint pains that you typically feel while sitting at your desk working the day away. This is because your monitor is now at the proper height, as is your mouse, so you won't be straining your neck or have your arm in an awkward position making repetitive motions. Most of our neck, shoulder, and joint pain come from the fact that our monitor, mouse, and keyboard are all at the wrong height and our bodies move awkwardly to compensate. Unfortunately, these movements are unnatural and at odds with how we are designed. We should be working with our bodies, not against them.
These desks have also been known to lower blood sugar levels. In fact, the results of one study of 10 office workers illustrate this clearly. The workers stood for 180 minutes after lunch and reduced their blood sugar spike by 43% compared to sitting for 180 minutes after lunch. In general terms, the more your blood sugar levels spike after meals, the worse it is. Whih is why this study shows that standing desks can be an aid in preventing things like diabetes. They might even help to reverse it. That alone is a great reason to work while upright.
Probably the number one complaint of an office drone who sits all day is back pain. We've all been there. You sit all day and your back suffers. This even continues long after you get home. And since you show up at work day after day you never get a break. You never get relief from this pain. It is a vicious cycle that isn’t going to end on it’s own. Not without some sort of intervention. The problem is that uncomfortable office chair you are sitting in. It doesn't support your back. Especially the lumbar area of your spine. Instead, it puts stress on your spine and joints, causing a number of problems.
Well, if you are slouching like the person in the picture above ( yes, we get it, he looks happy but thats not the point!) We have some more good news for back pain sufferers. Standing desks have been shown to help with this problem as well. We know this because several studies have been done on employees who had long-term back pain. These studies have shown that standing, as opposed to sitting, can reduce back pain by quite a bit.
By working healthier, your attitude and your mood will also improve. You will have increased vigor and energy throughout the day. You'll be more alert, more able to focus on your work. You'll basically be a whole new person and no, I don't believe I am overstating things. One nice little side effect of a standing desk is that your productivity will increase and because of this, I wouldn't be at all surprised if you were in line for a raise after using a standing desk.
Who knows? This might be the beginning of your rise to the top. Once you get there, be a nice boss and make sure that your workers are taken care of and pain free. After all, it worked for you.
The bottom line here is that staying in motion and standing throughout the day will likely help you to live a longer life. Not just a longer life, but a longer life of quality living. Isn't that what we all strive for? That is the best reason that I can give you to invest in a standing desk because this is the best thing that you can do for yourself and your family. You will feel better and live a better life.