Every office worker knows that one of the biggest downfalls when it comes to our job is the sitting down all day part. The average 9-5 employee will spend approximately 1,820 hours a year at work a week and that’s a lot of sitting!

Research has linked sitting for long periods of time to several different health concerns including negative effects on both physical and mental wellbeing. 

Whether your employees work from home or in the office, Sit-Stand desks are the perfect solution to offer them a unique alternative to long hours of being slumped over a computer with an aching back and tight shoulders. 

A current favourite in the working world, sit-stand desks not only allow your teams to escape the chair, but also have heaps of benefits that will not only help them, but benefit their work also:

Physical Benefits: 

1. Improved Posture and Reduced Back Pain

Something we lose when sitting slumped at our desk all day is good posture. Back pain is one of the most common complaints of office workers who sit at their desk all day. Sitting for long hours can put pressure on your back, leading to pain and discomfort in your back, shoulders and even your neck. Through regularly standing up, posture will start to improve and the compression on your spine is reduced meaning the pains caused from being slumped over your desk lessen. By equipping your employees with sit-stand desk, you can help to eliminate this back pain risk and encourage comfortability while working. 

2. Burns Calories and Lowers Weight Gain

Standing burns more calories than sitting down, even if you’re not moving, standing burns about 100-200 calories an hour. Although this doesn’t seem like much, when standing you’re more likely to walk around and even have access to moving while working, for example completing some leg lifts which will further increase calorie burn. Over time the calories will add up and your workdays will become much more active. By burning more calories, you effectively lower your chances of weight gain. By deploying sit-stand desks you can help your encourage your employees wellbeing. 

3. Lower Blood Sugar Levels and Improves Circulation

Its common knowledge that generally speaking, having increased sugar levels is not good for your health. Research* shows that periods of briefly standing / being active reduces blood sugar levels more than sitting down. Furthermore, when we stand, we move our legs more which helps gets the blood flowing throughout our bodies and improves our circulation, consequently reducing the chance of blood clots. On top of all this, by eliminating long periods of sitting and lowering your blood sugar and cholesterol this in turn, reduces your risk for heart disease.

Mental Benefits: 

1. Boost Productivity

Research involving 146 NHS staff* showed that when swapping their desk to standing desks those who normally had a sedentary work life found improved engagement with their work and an increase in productivity. Think, when you get exciting news, or feel super enthusiastic about something you get an urge to stand. In this same way, standing can help employees feel motivated and enthusiastic towards your day-to-day job, allowing them to perform better. Furthermore, not only does blood flow increase to the muscles but also to the brain, improving their productivity, concentration and creativity. 

2. Improved Mood 

Sitting down has been linked to both an increased risk in depression and anxiety.  Our bodies were designed to move and therefore when we stand up over sitting, we instantly feel healthier, which is enough to improve anyone’s mood. By distributing sit-stand desks to your employees it can help to create a happy positive workplace. When employees have the option to not need to sit down all day they can feel happier and healthier which will reflect in their work. 

* https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/briefly-standing-or-being-active-reduces-blood-sugar-across-the-day/

* https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/standing-desks-work-office-tiredness-productivity-health-benefits-research-nhs-study-sitting-a8578561.html