Nowadays, ergonomic and even futuristic-looking pieces of furniture are on-demand in the market. Similarly, the adjustable manual standing desks are a recent enhancement to the typical office or classroom desk. For some, they are a hip accessory to a PC workstation or gaming rig. Others would see them as a nifty way of being able to sit or stand anytime while working on their computers.
However, these manual standing desks are more than just techy accessories. They do not merely give convenience to your choice of whether to sit or stand by your workstations. They are certainly more than what you think of them. Knowing their benefits would reveal that they are essential tools that are worth the investment.
Good for the health
It’s ironic that about 70% of Americans who work full-time dislike having to sit down all day at work and, yet, live a sedentary lifestyle over 20 hours a day.
It’s not surprising then that, based on the latest count, 85% of Americans are not aware of “sitting disease.” It’s an umbrella term that refers to the ill effects of prolonged periods of inactivity. Those effects include obesity, heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and breast or colon cancer.
Likewise, people who frequently sit too long suffer from low-back pain, body discomfort, or poor posture.
You can now alleviate the above bleak situation with the help of standing desks. By allowing users the option to stand anytime, several health benefits get triggered at once. Those include improvements in metabolism, blood circulation, posture, muscle toning, burning of calories, and “good” cholesterol production.
Improves attention and focus
In addition to the adverse effect on health by sitting too long, being inactive significantly slows down mental functions. That is due to oxygenated blood reaching the brain slower than when you’re moving. With the brain responding sluggishly, the ability to focus and pay attention significantly diminishes.
Now you know why many students hardly recite or correctly answer when called. Or why many people in classrooms and offices stare into space or doze off eventually.
If it’s not the inactivity that lulls us into lethargy, it’s the discomfort that robs concentration. Low-back pain could easily pull us away from being focused and suffer listlessly throughout the day.
On the other hand, standing desks allow us to engage in a low-intensity activity like standing. You then benefit from an energy boost that is sufficient enough to improve mental awareness. At the same time, you become free from any pain or discomfort. Thus, there is an overall improvement in the ability to stay mentally sharp.
Increases productivity
The combination of all the ill effects of staying immobile could stack up against us real fast. You would find it hard to function efficiently at work or in school. And it would not be long before you get sick or, worse, rushed to the hospital.
That would be the last thing that you would want to happen. The good news is that the situation is undoubtedly preventable.
The first solution is to increase mobility options, such as gardening, taking brisk walks, climbing the stairs, or even doing household chores. Those activities are way better than doing nothing at all just because a gym membership is steep.
You could then extend mobility at work or school by using a standing desk. Studies consistently prove that the added range of motion it provides contributes to an overall improvement in function and efficiency by at least 20% when used over an extended period.
That translates to better engagement and academic performance in the classroom for students. For professionals, that is equivalent to increased productivity and higher work quality.
The health risks of being inactive could quickly overwhelm us. Thankfully, you can be free from the rut of sedentary living. The desire to be more mobile is no longer limited to what you could do outside. You can easily have that at work or in school with the help of a manual standing desk. They are indeed an investment that keeps on giving long-term returns.
You must be logged in to post a comment.