If you are reading this article from your desk, then chances are you are sitting. Are you?

Conventionally, whether we are working from our homes or at the office, we take a sitting position as we work. As a number of people work from home and organisations embrace hybrid work, not so much has changed with the convention of sitting while working. If anything changed, we know that the interactions that usually happen when we worked from the office space have drastically reduced meaning, we are seeing less human-human interaction in some organisations and are spending more time on our desks sitting on a chair.

There are numerous health effects associated with sitting for too long. And as the well-being of workers become more important to the bottom line of any organisation, these health effects can not be overemphasised.

Observing breaks in-between long periods of work has always been the easiest way to get people off their seats. So, what then is the idea behind a standing desk and how is it helping people manage the effect of sitting for too long?

Standing desks are built to help you work from your desk while standing instead of sitting on a chair. Standing desks are becoming increasingly popular around us.

You can even get creative and produce your standing desk. Stacking up books on your desks and placing your computer on them can give you the elevation you need to get a standing desk.

Here are a few benefits of a standing desk

Weight loss

When we exercise, fundamentally, we burn calories. When you take in more calories than you burn, you eventually add weight.

Standing, instead of sitting can help us burn calories, thereby reducing the risks of weight gain and obesity.

Lower Heart-related Disease

The idea of standing reducing the risk of heart-related diseases isn’t a new one. Did you know that a study found that bus conductors who stood while carrying out their day-to-day job had half the risks of heart-related deaths than their co-workers who sat behind the wheels?

This study was published in the journal “Coronary Heart Disease and Physical Activity of Work”.

Reduced Risk of Shoulder and Back Pain

If you spend 8 hours sitting at your desk working, you most likely have experienced shoulder or back pain.

Studies show that standing rather than sitting reduces the risk of shoulder and back pains. A study on  Impact of a Sit-Stand Workstation on Chronic Low Back Pain: Results of a Randomized Trial reported a 32% improvement in back pain after several weeks of using standing desks.

Other benefits of using a standing desk are;

Increased Productivity

Lower blood sugar level

Increased energy levels