Stand Up for Your Life

By Darren Buford

This article is from the Spring 2012 issue of Body Sense magazine.

A recent trend has office employees ditching their desk chairs and taking to their feet: stand-working. Turns out that sitting all day, every day, can be downright dangerous. Sitting weakens the body’s muscles and increases one’s risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, as well as metabolic symptoms.

Changeable workstations equipped with lifts or hydraulics present an alternative to sitting. They can transition from a desk that fits a chair to a desk that perfectly matches your standing height, giving you the ability to move from a standing position to a sitting position throughout the day.

Standing while working has many benefits, including increasing the blood flow to your brain, which, in turn, increases concentration and creativity. It has been estimated that standing requires 20 percent more energy than sitting and may burn 200-plus calories per day.

If stand-working isn’t an option at your office, try getting up whenever possible and stretching or going for a short walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or walk to speak to your coworkers rather than sending emails.