In every office, the question of sit stand desks and whether there is a genuine health benefit inevitably makes its way into the water cooler conversation. This is swiftly followed by a 50/50 split of the room, the money-men (and women) finding out how much you want to spend, and the idea quickly being dismissed for a more ’cost effective’ set up.
So, what does this mean for you and your health? Should you be requesting a sit stand desk?
So, what does this mean for you and your health? Should you be requesting a sit stand desk?
Physios have long denounced the evils of sitting, and we’re all now catching up and becoming increasingly aware of the negative health effects of prolonged sitting. This inactivity has been linked to muscular and ligamentous injury, in addition to well-documented increased risks of cardio vascular disease, early death, diabetes and even cancer. The evidence even suggests that if you head off to the gym after your day in the office, you are still unable to completely undo the effects of your inactivity throughout the day.
One of the most of common issues we at Physio on Collins see are neck and back pain associated with long hours of sitting. Given our location in Melbourne CBD it’s not surprising considering that our clientele is mainly city-based office workers.
As common misconception amongst employees is that if you move to a sit stand desk you’re going to have to stand for 8 hours a day. No one wants to do that. We don’t even want to that. Especially as prolonged standing can be bad for you as well. So better the devil you know, right? Wrong. A sit stand desk gives you the flexibility to move between sitting and standing as required – the clue’s in the name.
Due to this flexibility in positioning of sit stand desks they are becoming rightfully commonplace. Being easy to adjust means you change your posture regularly. The British Journal of Sports Medicine published guidelines for sitting - stating that for every half an hour of working in the office you should sit for 20 minutes, followed by standing for 8 minutes and stretch for two minutes. Evidence suggested that standing for more than 10 minutes tends to result in leaning which in turn can lead to back problems and other musculoskeletal issues. Quite simply – everything in moderation. This was supported by NASA who found that standing for 2mins, 16 times a day was an “effective strategy for maintaining bone and muscle density”.
So why is moving to regularly so important?
Research published in Diabetolgia not only found that for each additional hour per day being sedentary was associated with 3% higher fasting of insulin resistance but also those who sat for the longest time were twice as likely to get heart disease. In addition, sitting increases the chance of lung cancer by 54%, uterine cancer by 66% and colon cancer by 30% (2015 Inaugural Active Working Summit).
One of the most of common issues we at Physio on Collins see are neck and back pain associated with long hours of sitting. Given our location in Melbourne CBD it’s not surprising considering that our clientele is mainly city-based office workers.
As common misconception amongst employees is that if you move to a sit stand desk you’re going to have to stand for 8 hours a day. No one wants to do that. We don’t even want to that. Especially as prolonged standing can be bad for you as well. So better the devil you know, right? Wrong. A sit stand desk gives you the flexibility to move between sitting and standing as required – the clue’s in the name.
Due to this flexibility in positioning of sit stand desks they are becoming rightfully commonplace. Being easy to adjust means you change your posture regularly. The British Journal of Sports Medicine published guidelines for sitting - stating that for every half an hour of working in the office you should sit for 20 minutes, followed by standing for 8 minutes and stretch for two minutes. Evidence suggested that standing for more than 10 minutes tends to result in leaning which in turn can lead to back problems and other musculoskeletal issues. Quite simply – everything in moderation. This was supported by NASA who found that standing for 2mins, 16 times a day was an “effective strategy for maintaining bone and muscle density”.
So why is moving to regularly so important?
Research published in Diabetolgia not only found that for each additional hour per day being sedentary was associated with 3% higher fasting of insulin resistance but also those who sat for the longest time were twice as likely to get heart disease. In addition, sitting increases the chance of lung cancer by 54%, uterine cancer by 66% and colon cancer by 30% (2015 Inaugural Active Working Summit).
Really what we’re saying (and what most doctors will tell you about most things), is that you need to do everything in moderation, even your sitting. The reason that you think you’re hearing about sit stand desks everywhere lately is because they work (trust us on this one). And while yes, you can stand at your desk without one, the benefit they offer is that they let you continue your work uninterrupted. So, do your spine a favour, talk to your HR department about investing in a sit stand desk.
