Sitting is killing us. It's worse for the human body than smoking. Warnings like these occur more and more frequently and they're right. A recent British study showed we should stand two to four hours a day at work. Office workers are advised to use standing desks and workstations. However, can these desks really help?
Ilan Mochari, writer and editor of Inc.com, shared his experience. "Making the switch to a standing desk will have some surprising consequences," he says. "You might need to buy new shoes."
Ilan Mochari decided change from working at home to a co-working center. He didn't like working at home for a variety of reasons, including his office's ergonomically unsuitable equipment and the related shoulder and back pain. After a month of working at a standing desk, he wrote an article to summarize what we should know before deciding to start standing at work.
1. Your legs will hurt
If you do not want to damage your health more than when you were sitting, you should wear good shoes and put special anti-fatigue mats under your feet which will also help to keep your spine in the correct position. You will also need a chair adapted to a higher desk so that you can sit down when you are tired.
2. You will have less energy for after-work activities
If you are used to walking home or exercising after work, these activities will be more difficult for you if you stand at work, at least in the first few weeks.
3. You don't have to stand all day
You won't be doing yourself any favours if you stand all day. It is useless to force yourself to keep standing when you need to relax. It will be painful and you'll be more tired. If you're tired, sit down or walk around the office. You can also stretch your muscles or transfer your weight from one leg the other. The important thing is not to stay in one position too long.
4. You'll loosen your shoulders
According to Ilan Mochari's experience, working on the computer while standing has had a positive influence on his shoulders. He soon got rid of the pain he had been experiencing while working at home. He also found that when standing, he tended to slouch much less than while sitting.
5. You'll like it
You'll enjoy standing at work especially when performing tasks that don't require a lot of concentration. "For instance, it's much more relaxing for me to compose a Tweet about an article I just wrote than it is to actually write the article," says Ilan Mochari. While standing, he can deal with routine tasks better. When writing an article, he stands as well, but takes more breaks. And when he really has to focus on work, he sits down.
6. You get to sleep faster
This is a positive result of the fatigue from standing the whole day. In the beginning, you fall asleep very quickly. Ilan Mochari now gets up earlier and is more productive.
Do you have experience with doing office work while standing? We are looking forward to reading your comments.
-kk-