7 Benefits of Using a Standing Desk at Work

7 Benefits of Using a Standing Desk at Work

Many of us in the UK spend up to 40 hours a week in the office or working from home, and most of this time is spent sitting down. Sitting too much can be seriously bad for your health, increasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Additionally, sitting all the time can lead to back pain, poor posture and mean burning fewer calories. Office life requires us to be at a desk to do our job, which usually means being sat down. One alternative to this is a standing desk. In this article, we’ll look at all the benefits of using a standing desk at work.

What Is a Standing Desk?

A standing desk, or stand-up desk, allows you to comfortably work at your desk stood up. There are now adjustable versions available, allowing you to alternate between sitting and standing, these are referred to as height adjustable desks. Now we know what they are, are standing desks good for you?

Well, not only do standing desks negate the negative effects of sitting too much at work, but they also bring a range of impressive benefits for both health and productivity. Here are 7 benefits of using a standing desk:

1. Lowers the risk of weight gain and obesity

One of the medical benefits of using a standing desk is that you burn more calories than you would normally when sitting down. While exercising is the most effective way of burning calories, standing instead of sitting at work can make a difference.

In fact, a study shows that an afternoon spent at a standing desk burns 170 additional calories. This adds up to almost 1000 extra calories burned each week by simply using a standing desk each afternoon. Burning more calories each week can lower the risk of weight gain, obesity, and metabolic disease.

2. May lower blood sugar levels

Increased blood sugar levels after meals can be bad for your health, particularly those with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. A small study of 10 office workers showed that standing for three hours following lunch reduces the blood sugar spike by 43% compared to those who sat down for the same amount of time. Another study found that alternating between standing and sitting every 3 minutes reduced blood sugar spikes by 11.1%. This is an important medical benefit from using adjustable standing desks.

3. May lower the risk of heart disease

According to science, sitting for prolonged periods can increase the risk of heart disease by up to 147%. It can be so harmful that even intense exercise doesn’t make up for the negative effects of sitting down all day. This shows there aren’t just medical benefits to standing desks, but a necessity to avoid spending all your working day sitting down.

4. Reduces back pain

Back, neck and shoulder pain are all common complaints of office workers who spend their week sat at a desk. Sitting leads to poor posture, which in turn, leads to aches and pains. To test the benefits of standing desks, studies have been done on employees with long-term back pain.

Participants reported up to a 32% improvement in lower back pain after using a standing desk for a few weeks. Another study found that using a standing desk reduced upper back and neck pain by 54% after 4 weeks.

5. Improves mood and energy levels

Standing desks also improve mood and energy levels around the office, improving employee wellbeing. Similarly, sitting for too long has also been linked to depression and anxiety.

During the “Take-a-Stand Project” in 2011, 24 office workers were provided with a standing desk and asked to report on their mood. At the end of the 4-week intervention period, these were the positives highlighted by participants:

  • 87% felt more comfortable
  • 87% felt energised
  • 75% felt healthier
  • 71% felt more focused
  • 62% felt happier
  • 33% felt less stressed

All these benefits came from reducing their time spent sitting by just over an hour (66 minutes). This shows the positives that can come from using a standing desk for short periods throughout your working day. Upon returning to their old sitting desks, overall moods returned to their original level.

6. May boost productivity

A common concern about standing desks is that they can make daily tasks more difficult, for example, typing. Standing each afternoon is a change that will require some getting used to, but studies suggest it will have no negative impact on typical work tasks. In a study of 60 young office employees who used a standing desk for four hours each day, none of them found that it impacted the number of characters typed per minute or typing errors.

Improved mood and energy levels are a benefit from the use of standing desks, and because of this, it will likely have a positive effect on productivity. In the “Take-a-Stand Project”, 66% of the 24 office workers said they felt more productive using a standing desk.

7. Standing more can help you live longer

Sitting for long periods of time has been linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This means there may also be a link between increased sitting time and early death. A study done in America estimated that reducing sitting time to 3 hours a day would raise average life expectancy by 2 years. While this does not prove cause and effect, evidence suggests using a standing desk at work could help you live longer.

This article shows that having a standing desk in the office can be hugely beneficial, even if it’s only used for short periods throughout the day. If you’re looking for a standing desk for your home office or you’re an employer who wants standing desks for communal office space, explore Furniture at Work’s extensive range.