I’ve had conversations about standing desks many times with clients…
“Does it really work?” they ask

“Will standing at my desk actually make me healthier?”

It’s quite humorous to see that people tend to stand up when they start talking about this

I bet you feel compelled to stand up too

(Or maybe not – but read on)

Here are the facts…

Stand-up desks allow you to work at your desk while standing instead of sitting in your office chair, or as many do, to alternate between the two. So you still get to sit some of the time. They look like regular desks but have either a little motor that adjusts the height at the press of a button or adjusts hydraulically, just like your typical swivel chair or gas lift.

For the cheaper option, you can get monitor arms and accessories that elevate your desk into standing height.

Standing up at your desk has been proven to give you some health benefits according to a study conducted at Harvard, but it may not be as black and white as we think.

Standing desks: The real health benefits

The results of the study show that in terms of weight gain, they can have some impact.

We use 8 calories more per hour when standing as opposed to sitting, so we technically could gain a little less weight.

While so little calories more are not likely to help you lose weight there are other benefits we cannot sniff at.

Standing desk lovers like to talk about studies that show that after a meal your blood sugar levels will return to normal faster when we spend more time standing.

Standing also reduces the risk of neck and back pain, for those people who have no injury so far.

Other health benefits of standing at your desk are based on research that has proven the ills of sitting. Sitting is linked to a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature death.

Start using your standing desk gradually

Buying and starting to use a standing desk is like any other lifestyle change — it can come with undesired side effects.

If. You. Go from sitting all day to standing all day, you could develop aches and pains where your muscles are weakest, such as ankles leg or even the small of your back. You will need to start at around 30 minutes and increase gradually.

Alternating is always a better idea and sticking tone position.
Experts recommend setting a timer to alternate. In fact, this is fantastic when combined with the Pomodoro technique.

Not only do you feel better but you’ll focus more and feel less mentally tired too. The Pomodoro technique is simple. You break down your tasks into 25-minute chunks. You plan your 20 mins during the first 5, then work non-stop on the tasks for 20 minutes, then take a 5-minute break.

Combined with 30 minutes of standing and 30 minutes of sitting it can work wonders. We do however recommend buying two things to do this efficiently.

First, you’ll need your Pomodoro timer

Second, you’ll need an electrically adjustable desk. It is not feasible to move a manually adjustable desk or arm so many times in a day. So if you want to get maximum benefit we recommend the electronic ones

Stand more to enjoy your food more
Finally, if you really want to add the cherry on the cake to step up your office health, you can use gym balls when you sit and go for a walk or jump on a treadmill during your lunch break.

A large gym ball will help you sit upright, improving your balance and strengthening your ankles and back muscles. Perfect for slowly prolonging your standing time on the desk.

Walking for 30 minutes during your lunch break will help you burn an extra 240 calories, which when added to your 88 carries per hour standing calorie burn (on average) makes almost 950 calories burnt at work.

That’s the number of calories in 3 slices of Pizza Hut Pepperoni Pizza!

See the full range of standing desks here: http://bsl-lifestyles.com/office-furniture/office-desks/standing-desk/

Or call us directly on 2138 2601 to receive our full range of catalogues.