Last Updated: 14/04/2024
So, you’ve heard of standing desks and you're interested in investing in one for yourself. Maybe you’ve heard how a standing desk has revolutionised a friend or colleague’s office experience and they can’t stop raving about how great it is. But do you really know the benefits of what a standing desk can do for you?
Installing a standing desk in your home or office allows you to get your work done while experiencing some mental and physical benefits of standing up. Our guide aims to help you discover just some of the fantastic benefits of bringing a standing desk into your life.
1. Burn More Calories & Lower Risk of Obesity
Although there is no direct evidence that standing desks prevent weight gain, there is plenty of science that tells us that keeping active is much healthier for our bodies than sitting. Research has shown that an afternoon of using a standing desk (and moving while doing so) can burn over 170 calories more than sitting at a normal desk. That’s 850 extra calories burned in a five-day working week. If you’re trying to lose weight, that can be a huge (and noticeable) help!
Indeed, 2014 research found that transitioning from a sitting to a standing posture every 30 minutes, relative to seated work, led to a significant reduction in fatigue levels and lower back discomfort in overweight/obese office workers.
At FRISKA, we recommend moving while using your standing desk rather than standing still. If you’re not used to it, static standing can actually have a detrimental effect on your back and leg muscles, so it’s important to keep active. An anti-fatigue mat can help tremendously here. The lovely, soft cushioned base enables you to move your feet around without additional pressure.
The ultimate solution for moving while standing is the use of a Gymba board which enables extensive foot and ankle movement. It allows you to ‘walk’ while standing without it being a distraction like some solutions, such as running machines, are. Watch the benefits under test conditions on your YouTube channel.
2. Better Posture
Sitting hunched over for a prolonged period of time can play havoc with your posture. Standing for a portion of the day takes the pressure off of your neck and spine, creating a more balanced and comfortable stance that reduces the risk of back, shoulder and neck discomfort.
It's important to make sure you're adopting the right posture when you're sitting down and standing up. As a general rule of thumb, your elbows should be at a 90-degree angle and your forearms parallel to the ground. If you're sitting down, you should be sat upright, with your hips as close to the back of the chair as possible.
3. Reduced Back Pain
Several studies have been done involving workers who have back pain. On average, participants reported a 32% improvement in their back pain after using a standing desk for four weeks. In fact, the London Spine Clinic recommends sit-stand desks to its patients with chronic back pain because they’re comfortable whether you’re sitting or standing.
In a 2018 trial, patients who used a sit-stand desk experienced a 50 percent decrease in low back pain compared to a control group that didn’t use a standing desk. A 2021 trial in Japan also found that participants who used a sit–stand desk had reduced neck and shoulder pain.
If you’re unfortunate enough to suffer with back pain, particularly lower back pain, keeping active with a standing desk for some of the day will no doubt relieve the pressure of a continuous sitting position.
4. Lower Blood Sugar Levels
The higher your blood sugar levels after a meal, the worse it is for your overall long-term health. Thus, keeping your blood sugar levels stable is essential for keeping conditions such as diabetes at bay or under control. Some studies have shown that a standing desk can help lower your blood pressure.
A study was carried out on 10 office workers who used a standing desk for an afternoon. The results showed that blood sugar level spikes dropped by 43%, when compared to sitting for the same amount of time.
Another study involving 23 office workers found that alternating between standing and sitting every 30 minutes throughout the workday reduced blood sugar spikes by 11.1% on average.
5. Lower Risk of Diabetes
On a similar note, research has shown that people who use sit-stand desks at work might be able to live longer and be better placed to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers estimated that introducing sit-stand desks could save 7,492 ‘health-adjusted life years’ – a measurement of the health of a population – by preventing conditions caused by obesity, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Indeed, living a less sedentary life, which involves more standing and being active, reduces blood sugar and improves insulin function. Using a standing desk allows you to alternate between standing and sitting throughout your day helps you to keep your blood sugar under control.
6. Lower Risk of Heart Disease
The less you move the more at risk you are from heart disease. This is because your blood flow slows down, which allows fatty acids to build up in the blood vessels.
The largest study about the dangers of sitting, which involved 800,000 people in 2011, found that people who sit the most, when compared to those who sat the least, had an 147% increase in cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, and a 90% increase in death from cardiovascular events.
A later study in 2017 found that sitting for long periods of time is a risk factor for early death. Participants in the study who sat for more than 13 hours per day had a 200 percent greater risk of death than participants who sat for less than 11 hours. Participants who moved more and sat less (sitting less than 30 minutes at a time) had a 55 percent lower risk than those who sat for 30 minutes or more at a time.
As a standing desk encourages you to stand up and move more, this can be an effective method for lowering your risk of heart disease.
7. Supports Wrist Health
When working, your wrists will often fall and "rest" on your keyboard which can lead to wrist strain and pain, including the risk of repetitive strain injury (RSI). To prevent this, you need to keep your wrists straight and let your hands float - this means you shouldn't rest your wrists on the desk or keyboard when you're typing.
Although there are no specific studies on the relationship between standing desks and wrist pain, what we do know is that standing desks help you achieve the optimal desk height. This will help your arms remain at a 90-degree angle, with your wrists in a neutral position, reducing strain and your risk of wrist pain.
8. Boosts Happiness and Productivity
There is a lot of evidence to suggest that using a standing desk increases productivity and boosts your mood. One study, lasting seven weeks, found that standing for one hour during the workday increased productivity for 66% of workers, while 71% felt more focused and 87% reported feeling more energised. Another study from 2011 found that those that use sit-stand desks reported increased mood states as opposed to those who sat for longer periods of time. This was echoed in a 2021 trial in which workers reported a significant increase in subjective, vitality in work-related engagement and self-rated work performance over a four-week period.
There is also evidence that suggests that standing up can encourage collaboration and boost creative thought in group settings, which can make your meetings more productive and increase team morale.
In contrast, there is a wealth of research out there that suggests that sitting for most of the day is linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression.
If your current workspace is actively making you feel lethargic, unmotivated and generally down, it’s time to change things. A standing desk could be exactly what you need to get your mojo back, see your productivity soar and start feeling happy again.
Get The Most Out Of Your Standing Desk
So, now you know the amazing standing desk benefits, have we convinced you to invest? Of course, no great standing desk stands alone. There are a range of accessories available to make your standing desk experience more comfortable and convenient.
Memory Control Switch
Pre-set your favourite sitting and standing heights with a memory control switch, which you can override at any time. Minimum and maximum heights can also be set in addition to the memory function, to eliminate the risk of collision with radiators, pedestals, window sills or picture frames.
Under Desk Storage
No need to have a separate filing cabinet for all your important bits of paper. Our storage solutions slip right under your FRISKA standing desk. Complete with soft-close drawers and ball bearing runners, they’re a fantastic solution for a messy, disorganised workspace.
Desk Mats and Boards
Both our Nyborg standing desk mat and Gymba board are designed to make standing more comfortable. They work to redistribute your weight, taking the pressure off of your feet and spine and improving blood circulation.
The Gymba board also allows you to gently move while you’re working, which is perfect for remaining active at work.
Screens and Panels
Your desk can be accessorised with a privacy screen or modesty panels. Modesty panels shield your legs from view while privacy screens provide both privacy from and a block on distraction from colleagues sitting directly opposite.
Screens also provide a good measure of acoustic absorption and help reduce echoes within your office space. So, both of these customisations are especially useful if your standing desk will be situated in a shared office.
Electrical Accessories and Cable Management
You can even embed power outlets into your standing desk, eliminating the need to bend down to plug your laptop in underneath the desk. We have a range of solutions for keeping cables tidy too. From cable ports integrated into the standing desk to cable trays that can be fitted under your desk. They house your chargers, power leads and hard drives, so there’s no need for unsightly, messy wires to be all over the place anymore.
Conclusion
Standing desks are so much more than a passing fad. They have a huge amount of both physical and mental health benefits and we hope our guide has given you just a taste of what a standing desk can do for you.
FRISKA standing desks include all of these perks and can be fully customised and accessorised to your needs. We’ve got your back, so come and join our family of happy standing desk users!