Our modern lifestyle is doing a lot of damage to the personal health of a lot of people. It’s sedentary and full of foods that we shouldn’t eat, which often leads to debilitating or even life threatening diseases. Which is why so many people are focused on measures they can take to improve their health without having to withdraw from modern life. Standing workstations are one of these measures, but are they really as beneficial as advertised? Some recent research says otherwise.
A lot of jobs involve long hours sitting at a desk and this is having a negative impact on personal health. In fact, some studies suggest that Americans are sitting for around 13 hours a day. And when you factor in 8 hours of sleep, this adds up to 21 hours out of 24 that are sedentary. This is a shocking statistic because sitting for long periods can increase your risk of an early death, and it also increases your chances of suffering from a number of diseases including cancer, heart attack, and stroke. Sitting for long periods is also strongly linked to obesity, and the buildup of fat around the internal organs, which not only increases your chances of developing a number of diseases, it also contributes to overall poor health. This new threat to personal health has prompted health experts to recommend changes to the way workplaces function as well as the equipment available. These changes advocate the inclusion of regular breaks to get the blood flowing again as well as ergonomically designed desks and chairs.
The Evidence for Standing
A recent study looked at the data from a number of studies that were concerned with calorie burning. This data was analyzed to determine the difference between calorie burning during periods of sitting versus periods of standing. The study found that standing burned approximately .15 more calories a minute than sitting. This seems like an insignificant amount, but it means that if you stand for 6 hours, you will burn around 54 extra calories then you would sitting for the same period of time. This finding indicates yet another measure that people can take to increase their personal health without adding more exercise to their life. And it’s fairly easy to do. Just increase the amount of time you spend standing to enjoy better health and maybe even some weight loss.
The Risks of Standing
Despite all this evidence about the danger of sitting and the benefits of standing, recent research is now arguing against long periods of standing at work. A study in Australia found that people who used a standing desk for 2 hours a day suffered from increased all over discomfort as well as a deteriorating mental state. Participants in the study complained of pain and swelling, particularly in their lower limbs, and also suffered from a reduction in their reaction time to mental stimulation. It seems that standing all day may carry some consequences as well, which is worrying considering the confirmed consequences of sitting all day.
There are a number of problems with this most recent study. For starters, it is the only one of its kind to date and it also contained a limited number of participants. Basically, it’s just too soon for a real understanding of the potential consequences and dangers of standing desks. But this doesn’t mean that you should completely dismiss the idea of using a standing desk and just ignore the risks of sitting all day.
The Takeaway
In the future, researchers may find that using a standing desk has health consequences. But the reality is, the consequences of sitting all day are fairly well known and also very serious. So if your lifestyle is fairly sedentary, this needs to be addressed immediately before it negatively affects your personal health. This means that you need to find a better balance in your workplace that includes a combination of sitting and standing activities and time. This type of approach would have to be personalized for each individual’s health status, their health concerns, and their workplace, so it isn’t as simple as prescribing a sitting and standing routine. Instead, you need to perform a complete health assessment and adjust your working routine according to your unique needs and concerns. This is the only way that you will find a routine that improves your personal health and wellbeing without causing further damage or discomfort.
If you want to enjoy better personal health, HomeLab can help you keep track of your condition and any health changes you make using the latest technologies and up-to-date medical knowledge.
Tags: personal health, health assessment