If you’re like most office workers, you spend the vast majority of your day sitting down at your desk, staring at a computer screen. Unfortunately, new research has shown that sitting at your desk all day can have numerous negative health impacts while slowing down productivity.
This is where standing desks come into play.
What Is a Standing Desk?
A standing desk isn’t a full replacement for your current desk. Rather, it’s a sleek and sturdy unit that’s designed to go on top of your existing desk, table or any other flat surface you work on.
It can be used in your office, a workshop or right on your kitchen table.
There are a wide variety of standing desk risers to choose from. The options include:
- Units of varying sizes that fit on counters, tables and traditional desks
- Settings that you can adjust based upon your posture and height
- Varying styles that work well for small laptops, dual monitors, feature separate keyboard drawers and a lot more
When you talk to your employer about buying a standing desk, it’s important to make sure that the unit they purchase fits your individual needs.
Benefits of a Standing Desk
If your job requires that you use a computer for some, or part, of your day, adding a standing desk converter into your life will offer solid benefits.
Aside from the many health benefits you’ll experience, you’ll also notice a profound increase in productivity.
Individuals that use standing desks find that they have an increase in mental focus while they’re standing at their computer. Basically, they get things done faster.
Part of the reason productivity increases could be from the simple fact that a person looks forward to sitting down again after completing a task. Standing also increases blood flow which is energizing and helps with mental acuity.
No matter what the exact reason is, you’ll get a lot more done in a shorter amount of time when using a standing desk.
If your job requires that you move around a lot to multiple locations throughout the course of the day, a standing desk is particularly useful. They’re flexible and portable so you’ll never need to be without your custom setup.
Reasons to Ask Your Employer to Buy You a Standing Desk
Aside from the benefits already discussed, standing rather than sitting throughout your day provides a ton of health advantages.
Working at a standing desk improves your posture. This helps you look and feel better while at work and when you head home for the day. You’ll also strengthen your core muscle groups, which alleviates back pain and overall mobility issues that come with age.
Improved posture has also been directly linked to increased confidence and a better overall impression on people you work with and interact with on a daily basis.
When we sit for eight to ten hours per day, common health problems include:
- Heart disease from a lack of exercise
- Weight gain
- Instability in blood sugar levels
- Low serotonin levels, leading to mood fluctuations and emotional instability
Of course, you still need to engage in regular exercise and physical activity outside of the office. But standing rather than sitting during your workday helps stave off common health problems that arise from an overly-sedentary lifestyle.
It should go without saying that standing at work with your standing desk isn’t going to cure an existing disease or prevent heart disease and diabetes. But every single choice we make directly impacts our body’s ability to remain fit and healthy over the course of a lifetime.
It’s Time For Your Own Standing Desk
Many researchers have spent time studying the issues caused by sitting at a computer for hours on end. In today’s world, sitting behind a desk day after day has become more common than ever. Because of this, desk converters and standing desks have become an ever-increasing solution to get people standing more. If you haven’t tried a standing desk yet, you’ll immediately wonder how you ever survived in the office without it. Talk to your employer about the many benefits of a standing desk. Then ask if they’d be willing to make a small investment in your health and future.
