If your child is in school, there's a high chance that they use a fixed-height desk. There's nothing really special about these desks, as these are the desks and tables that most of us are used to.
However, these are also the desks that force people to sit down when at work. And while sitting can be quite comfortable, doing it for too long can have a negative impact on a person's health, especially when they're a child.
In this article, we're looking at a few of the key negative effects of height-fixed desks for children. On top of that, we're looking at a potential solution to all the problems that come with using height-fixed desks as a child.
Read on to learn more.
Height-Fixed Desks Force Kids to Sit Down for a Long Time
The first reason you may want to keep your child away from a height-fixed desk and give them a height-adjustable desk instead is that you don't want them to sit down for a long time. Remember- the human body is designed for movement. Our muscles, bones, and entire bodies are designed to sustain movement. So, sitting down for a long stretch of time isn't natural for most of us.
While teachers and instructors always clamour for children to sit down and listen, this might not be optimal for them. Aside from getting in the way of their exercise and movement, sitting down may actually lead to less focus and concentration. On top of that, numerous studies show that children that are forced to sit down for extended periods of time experience more back problems.
Height-fixed desks have many benefits since they are cost-effective and practical. However, forcing children to sit down for long periods of time is very bad for their health, and if you can, you may want to encourage your child to stand up and stretch to prevent problems from sitting down too long.
Restricts Movement
When a child spends most of their time at a height-fixed desk, they are practically stuck there. More often than not, children who sit at their desks are required to stay there until their instructor allows them to move. And while this might make it easier to relay information to students, restricting a child's movement can lead to a lot of problems down the line.
To start, if a child can't move properly, it throws off the control of their eye muscles. In fact, restricted movement can lead to a hindered vestibular system. This system is responsible for eye control, spatial awareness, and emotional regulation.
Children must develop their vestibular sense naturally through everyday play and movement. When they're stuck at a fixed-height desk all day, they don't get the opportunity to develop their vestibular sense, which can cause even more issues in the future.
Less Concentration
Sitting down all day can cause kids to lose focus. Numerous studies show that children who sit down for extended periods of time have a harder time concentrating. It's fairly common for children to get bored and start fidgeting during class. While some of these children have conditions that make it harder for them to sit down and focus, others just get easily bored of sitting, which is why they start fidgeting and moving around.
This is why you might find that children that sit down during class have poor academic performance. It's important to keep kids stimulated and interested during learning sessions. And if they're forced to sit down on a height-fixed desk, it becomes harder to do that.
Regular Activity Encourages a Healthier Lifestyle
It's important to encourage children to live a healthy lifestyle. Starting a healthy life young makes it easier to sustain and maintain your health later on. And when they are regularly moving and exercising, kids are encouraged to move and play even more.
As you might guess, it's hard to do this when stuck at a desk. This is why we highly encourage staying away from fixed-height desks that restrict movement.
Children That Aren't Active Experience Higher Obesity Rates
Another effect of constantly sitting at a height-fixed desk is higher obesity rates. Children at height-fixed desks spend much of their time sitting down, preventing movement and exercise. Child obesity is already a significant problem worldwide, and height-fixed desks aren't doing anything to help.
What’s the Solution?
There's no singular solution to the problems associated with height-fixed desks. It's important to take a multifaceted approach to ensure children live a healthy life.
That said, a great way to correct the negative effects of height-fixed desks is to give your child a height adjustable children's desk. While they may not be able to use these desks at school, at least they can choose to stand or sit down when doing schoolwork at home.
An adjustable kid's desk can do wonders to their health and academic performance, as these desks encourage movement and concentration. So, you may want to consider getting your child an adjustable desk to keep them engaged and moving the whole day through!
