Is A Standing Desk Better Than Sitting For Work?

The work style has completely changed in the past few years. The majority of the workers spend their entire shift sitting in a cubicle. The after-work depression and poor muscle health can be a consequence of such working habits. That’s why many employees are choosing standing desks over a regular static ones. But is it going to make anything better?

An electric standing desk is far better than sitting in front of a regular office desk. when it comes to health, you can’t do too much of both sitting and standing. A standing desk helps you find a balance and allow you to switch positions whenever you like.

Buying a standing desk means committing to a different work style. It’s not something exciting for people who like consistency in their life. If you are like that, we have to give some solid points to shift your preference. So, without further ado, let’s start.

Sitting VS Standing: Which One Is Better For Work?

Sitting is obviously more comfortable than standing. There’s no doubt about that. it’s the next fun thing after laying in your cozy bed. Interestingly, sitting during your work has never been considered bad. In fact, sitting and working can go hand in hand.

The only thing you need to worry about is maintaining a good posture. By that, we mean, no hunching or slumping over the desk. It’s way harder than you think; especially if your shift is over 8 hours per day. Here’s what happens when you sit for a prolonged period.

1. High Risk Of Diabetes

Do you have a family history of type-2 diabetes? Then, leading a sedentary lifestyle is only going to help you get diabetes earlier. According to reports, sitting for more than 8 hours in your office increases the risk of potential diabetes by 17%. That’s because diabetes is related to obesity.

The more cholesterol (bad) your body gains, the earlier you will be diagnosed with this disease. Here’s a practical example of how your body gets so fat while sitting.

First of all, you have to understand that sitting is not an exercise. Just because you are sitting in your office all day in front of a computer, doesn’t mean your body is active.

However, our brain doesn’t think that. We make our brains work hard on a task. But when we feel tired which is only our brain, we look for food. In this case, junk food. That’s the main reason why office workers are getting obese day by day.

2. Irregularities Of Blood Flow

We already talked a little about muscle activation. When you sit for a long period without any break, your leg’s vascular health is under great threat. Studies have been conducted on this topic and the result will shock you.

Keeping our legs bent or immobile for longer hours can disturb blood flow and cause a painful disease known as endothelial dysfunction. If you keep neglecting the small symptoms, your leg muscles (especially your calves) will start hurting regularly.

3. Poor Blood Sugar Control

Another study shows that, your ability to control blood sugar after a meal decrease significantly if you sit for too long. Now, it might not as noticeable for healthy and young workers. But older workers with a history of diabetes, cholesterol, and obesity will face harsh consequences. Drowsiness and restlessness are some common signs that you need to keep your blood sugar under check and possibly choose a better lifestyle.

So, there you go. All of these health-related problems can happen to you if you choose to sit all day in front of a regular desk. Does it mean you should switch to standing instead? Let’s see what happens when you choose to stand instead of sitting all day.

• Firstly your body will feel lighter and more active. You won’t have the chance to slump over the chair anymore. So, better spinal health is right on the corner.
• Next, you can burn around 88 calories per hour by standing on your feet properly. You can easily burn 200-300 calories per day without any demanding exercise. Isn’t that a good deal?
• Also, your chances of getting diabetes will lower significantly. You can still become diabetic in old age due to genetics. But, it’s still better than dealing with this disease in your 30s.

At this point, it sounds great. But there is a catch (obviously!). Standing for a long period can be dangerous to your health as well. The issues are not similar to the ones we have already discussed. But it’s still concerning. Have a look.

4. Cardiac Arrest

You wouldn’t believe but too much standing can affect your heart health as badly as smoking. In fact, a study shows that workers whose jobs require prolonged standing have a 6.6% higher chance of getting heart disease. That’s no joke. Let’s explain why it happens.

When you stand it’s difficult for your heart to pump blood to your legs. The sheer difference in height of these both organs is the number one reason. Imagine a cook standing and cooking without any chance to sit. They are the major victims of cardiac arrests due to poor blood flow.

5. Inflammation

Too much standing can give birth to a health condition called varicose veins. That happens because too much blood is pooled in your legs. Unfortunately, blood flow doesn’t get smoother than you expected. After a certain period, blue or green veins become visible and that part of your legs feels extremely swollen.

What’s The Solution?

As you can see, standing or sitting both have benefits and side effects. The ideal way to work is to keep a balance. You should sit and stand from time to time to allow every muscle in your body to activate. That’s why a sit-stand desk can be the perfect work companion you are looking for. It has buttons that allow you to choose any desirable height.

The flexibility helps you avoid any of those issues we just described. If you noticed, we mentioned the word “prolonged” too many times. Because that’s where the problem lies. It’s not about sitting or standing. The problem is standing too much or sitting too much.

But a standing desk will erase that dilemma permanently. Here’s a good way to use your standing desk to reap the best results. Sit in your chair and use the desk regular office desk for 20-30 minutes. Then, get up and convert it into a standing desk. keep that position for 10-15 minutes if your body is comfortable. If possible, walk for five minutes in between. When your legs start to feel swollen or your knees hurt, change the desk’s height again.

You see, it’s all good. no more risks of getting obese, diabetic, or ending up having inflamed feet. With a standing desk, you don’t have to choose only one working style for yourselves. Why get one when you can have two?

Before You Go!

Standing desks are not anything new. It became a staple in every home office established during the pandemic. As you can see, it will impact your health wonderfully. But what if you are trying to lose weight? Does a standing desk help you stay fit while you are working? if you are curious, please follow our article on whether a standing desk burns more calories or not.