It's official: sitting in an office chair for hours every day is bad for your health.
At first, you might not see the effects of spending too much time sitting, but as time goes on, the damage will rear its ugly head. Weight gain, backaches, and joint pains related to poor posture are directly linked to a sedentary lifestyle.
Luckily, the solution is simple: just reduce the time you spend sitting in your chair!
By replacing the time you spend in your chair with more movement and exercise, you can reduce the risk of having these painful symptoms. As a remote worker, adding an active standing desk can be ergonomically beneficial on many levels. In this post we look at 5 ways remote workers can benefit from using a standing desk to sit less.
1. Improved General Health
When workers spend too much time sitting, they can suffer from health issues like back pain, poor posture, and limited range of motion. Using a standing desk instead of a traditional sit-down desk can reduce these issues. Many studies have shown that people who work while standing up are less likely to experience back pain than those who sit down all day. Standing desks can also increase productivity, as the workers are more alert after getting up and moving around.
Using a standing desk reduces eye strain by allowing you to stand up, move around, and take a break from your computer screen every now and again. This can help reduce the amount of strain you put on your eyes, which can help prevent long-term eye conditions later in life or shorter term health problems like headaches or blurry vision.
2. Increased Productivity
There’s an old saying that “a change is as good as a rest,” and it holds true when you’re at work, too. Using a standing desk encourages you to alter your routine every few hours so that you won’t get tired out from doing the same thing repeatedly.
Standing up during meetings is a great way to encourage more productivity and participation from your attendees. Standing forces the body to be in an active state, which helps keep you on your toes and makes you more alert during meetings. It also invigorates blood circulation in the body, which can prevent symptoms like poor concentration and numbness.
Because using a standing desk can increase energy levels, improve posture and reduce eyestrain, a remote worker who uses one is likely to work more efficiently during the day than someone who sits all day long without ever taking a break. And being more efficient means getting more done!
3. Increased Alertness
In our always-on society, many people have fallen into the pattern of sitting all day long with no breaks - even if their jobs don't require them to be sedentary all day long. Being sedentary for an extended amount of time is linked to decreased energy levels. When you sit, your body is less active than when you're standing. Instead of being more active, the body slows down because it's in a seated position.
Because of this, sitting can leave you feeling sluggish by the end of the day. Standing desks can help ease this problem by forcing you to get up and move regularly. This will give your muscles a chance to relax and rest while simultaneously getting your blood pumping again as your heart rate returns to normal levels.
4. Better Posture
Being completely sedentary for long periods of time can cause your muscles to tense up. This can lead to slouching, poor posture, and spinal problems. Using a standing desk relieves you of the stress sitting puts on the spine and allows you to keep your muscles engaged as you work. This can also help boost your confidence and help you perform better at work.
5. Reduced Anxiety and Stress
Sitting for long periods of time can make you feel tense, which isn't conducive to having a productive day. If you’re feeling anxious or stressed out because of your job, using a standing desk might help relieve your stress and anxiety. This is because movement increases blood flow, which helps regulate your nervous system and makes you feel better.
As we've seen, there are many benefits you gain from using a standing desk. When it comes to ergonomic office furniture for remote workers, there’s no better choice than a standing desk. These desks make it easy for you to sit less, move more, and be healthier than ever before.
The idea of standing all day at work instead of sitting sounds daunting, but it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. By alternating between standing and sitting, you can reap the benefits of both activities while avoiding the consequences of either practice when done too much or too often.
If any of the above situations apply to you, it may be time for a change in your work routine. Check out our standing desk converters for your home office set-up.
