Is the office in which you work undergoing some alterations? Maybe some new blinds, carpet replacement, or new lighting? Well, that may just be the beginning. With emerging studies, and some good ole common sense, the traditional work desk could possibly take a back seat, or at least a side seat, to something that is becoming more and more common in the workplace. Have you ever heard of or seen a standing desk? Well, whether you have or not, it may be your next desk. Like it or not, perhaps it should be.  Here’s why.

First, sitting for long periods of time contributes to overall muscle stiffness and back pain. Although the seated position may be opportune for your business life,  hours upon hours of being hunched over your desk can deform how your body is blueprinted to transport your weight. Ever hear of something called the pelvic tilt? Well, chances are, if you’re one of the many people who sit for long periods of time on a daily basis, you may have a slight or obtuse pelvic tilt. If so, this puts you at further risk of back and leg pain as well as injuries. Standing, provided your spine is in line, puts your body in a much healthier, ergonomic position, takes some of the sting of sitting from the lower back, neck, and buttock regions, and decreases or possibly rids of the debilitating pelvic tilt.

Next,  studies have linked prolonged sedentary behavior to such serious disorders as diabetes and heart disease. Do you go to work, get up maybe for a ten minute break or two, maybe for lunch, and to walk to your vehicle after work? If so, then that means you’re sitting for time periods well beyond what your body would like. Hence, you may see the excess body fat around your waist, experience metabolic syndrome,  high blood sugar,  elevated cholesterol levels, and an increased cancer risk. Moving around and standing, however, initiate vital processes related to the breakdown of sugars and fats.

Lastly, sitting may be shaving years off of your life. All of the hours you sit and watch TV, play video games, work, etc., etc., according to researchers from Toronto, increase your chances of obtaining a condition or disease which will kill us prematurely. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the fourth leading risk factor for death for people all around the world is physical inactivity! Who would’ve thought it possible that simply being still could be so potentially dangerous to your health?

So, if, or seemingly it’s a matter of when your workplace decides to provide some type of standing desk in place of, or hopefully along with your familiar traditional sit down desk, be open to it. In fact, be first in line to utilize it! For improved health it’s recommended by researchers that you stand as much as you can and sit when you need to. This will help to decrease and/or eradicate muscle stiffness and back ache, lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and raised cholesterol levels. Stand more, sit less. Get up and move your body! Your life depends on it.

 

~centerfield6

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