HEALTH BENEFITS OF HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE TABLES (SIT AND STAND DESKS)
When it comes to office furniture, one simple fact dominates the discussion today. Sitting when you work for long periods is bad for your health. This is no longer a topic for debate. All the evidence is in and it's not so much that the experts have completed their surveys and tests and come up with that conclusion, which they have, but the workers themselves have spoken too. They want their health and well-being to be a top priority for their employer. They want flexibility and variety in their work environment. They want the option of different types of furniture with height adjustable desks being at the front of the queue.
Poor posture, in particular, can cause a multitude of health issues as it puts extra stress on joints and muscles. This leads to overwork and fatigue, which can cause chronic pain. As a result, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) may occur — like tendonitis or carpal tunnel. These disorders can impact muscles, blood vessels, nerves, ligaments, and tendons.
Luckily, these issues can be prevented with some adjustments to ergonomics in the workplace or at the home office. By having access to appropriate furniture such as a height adjustable desks, you can minimize poor posture and health issues.
Let’s see how these tables and desks greatly help in our well-being and productivity at work.
1. Overcome tiredness
A tired worker is an unproductive worker. Avoid tiredness setting in by varying your working positions on a regular basis. An adjustable desk is the perfect piece of equipment to help in this regard. Physical fitness is matched by mental fitness. Feeling drowsy because of lack of movement makes your productivity slip backwards.
2. Increase in Productivity
Continuing from the above point, people with height-adjustable desks reported increased productivity after one year and also reported better concentration ability. In addition, they said they were more active, refreshed, awake, limber, and energetic. And it doesn’t take much to know that this can greatly increase productivity. Both employee and employer win in this case!
3. Reduced back and neck pain
One of the most common complaints among employees are back aches and back pains. There are many causes for the same, the biggest one being an uncomfortable desk or chair. Sometimes employees need to sit upright for long periods because their desks are too high or they have to slump and look down at their computer screen because the desk is too low. It’s no surprise that this will lead to back and neck pains.
This is where a height-adjustable desk comes into play. With the flexibility to adjust the height of the desk, employees can find the right height at which they can place their hands on the desk and look at their screens without any strain or stress.
4. Lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases
Sitting for long hours every day can lead to obesity. It doesn’t matter how hard your mind is running or your fingers are typing all day, the body can’t burn enough calories this way. Obesity is one of the main causes linked to cardiovascular disorders.
The idea here is to adjust your desk and possibly, an adjustable chair, high enough to leave your legs hanging just a bit. Since our body is used to being grounded and while working for long hours, our legs will want to touch the ground. The body will know since your legs will start to get tired or ache a little. Take this as an opportunity to stand up or walk around for a while, every now and then. It might not seem like much, but doing this every day for months will indeed make a difference!
5. Greatly improves well-being
Users of height-adjustable desks are said to experience less stress and fatigue, both physical and mental, than their regular desk counterparts. In many studies, the evidence is clear that height-adjustable desks and standing desks made the users feel more energetic and active. But when asked to go back to their old desks, their moods dropped and their energy levels regressed. The results of this research confirm the connection between a sedentary lifestyle and a higher risk of suffering from depression and anxiety.
6. Helps protect spine, ankles, and knees
A height-adjustable desk is a contemporary and ergonomic solution to maintaining good posture and preventing unnecessary pains and aches. Sitting for long hours doesn’t do any good for knees and ankles either, especially for people who have joint problems and arthritis. If you have nothing to do for a few minutes, try walking around a bit. A standing desk, on the other hand, is not quite the right fit for someone with joint pains as standing for long can also cause joint pains. The key is to balance sitting and standing/walking. You can try walking for 10 minutes for every 60 minutes you sit and work.
7. Increases life expectancy
Studies have shown a strong correlation between prolonged sitting and early death. It might be surprising, but we all know that a sedentary lifestyle leads to Type II Diabetes, Heart disease, etc. It does not matter if you exercise regularly, it can’t compensate for sitting down for long hours. Your body needs to be active every once in a while during the day. The use of a height-adjustable desk or a standing desk along with other points mentioned above will greatly improve or at least prevent shaving off of your life expectancy simply by warding away any unwanted diseases.
How to use these desks properly
You must make some effort to achieve the result you want. It’s understandable that you might feel uncomfortable exercising in front of your colleagues. The main benefit of a height-adjustable desk is that it allows you to do exercises without being noticed by others.
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? Raising on your toes. You can repeat the exercise as many times as you feel comfortable. The main idea is not to do it excessively, there shall be no pain or discomfort.
? Leg extensions: In a standing position, extend your leg behind you. Keep your back straight. Repeat 10-15 times.
? Stretching chest: clasp your hands behind your back. Stretch them.
At Monarch Ergo, we understand the need of workplace ergonomics better than anyone else. A height-adjustable desk is a must for any organization to help boost productivity and motivation levels for its employees. And for this reason, we have a product line we call Elevate. These desks aid a new workplace dynamic making workplaces more agile and comfortable. We encourage you to check them out at https://www.monarchergo.com/desk-tables-desking-elevate.php and watch this video below.
In conclusion…
When we spend increasingly more time at a desk, we can now indeed appreciate all its benefits. One thing we can tell for sure: a height-adjustable desk is better than a traditional one. It is important to be fit and healthy even when working.
Of course, it will not treat you from already existing medical conditions such as scoliosis, for example. A height-adjustable desk such as our Elevate can help to prevent them to improve your life quality and work efficiency, promoting overall well-being.
