Saturday, June 9, 2018

The Many Health Benefits Of A Sit Stand Workstation

By Maria Wood


It seems that in modern times, people as a whole are experiencing significantly more health issues than in previous decades. This is largely due to spending a greater amount of time sitting, with less focus on moving around. A lot of offices are switching to a sit stand workstation format to help improve employee well being and morale.

The traditional office set up consists of a desk set at a static height with an adjustable chair. Although a lot of companies provide ergonomic tools such as lumbar and wrist supports, and foot rests, this still leaves the employee's body in a sitting position for hours on end. This sedentary positioning can lead to a lot of problems with one's muscles, bones, and heart.

Some offices have even gone to the extreme opposite by installing standing desks in order to negate the sedentary issue. They add ergonomic support by providing items such as personal treadmills, cushioned mats, or stools, as a means to take pressure off of the back and legs. Standing for such long hours can also have drawbacks in the shape of strain on the hips, lower back, and knees.

Since an average work day is approximately eight hours, it might seem impossible to find a solution. Sitting at a desk all day runs the risk of decreased circulation and the potential for heart issues, and standing all those hours is equally risky to muscle and bone strength. There is a happy medium available that can significantly lower the risks that each of these extremes pose.

The solution to these two extremes is to do both in moderation. This means finding an acceptable combination of standing and sitting in order to keep issues with one's circulatory or musculoskeletal systems from beginning. With a simple turn of a crank, push of a button, or press of a lever, an individual and take their work surface from the seated height to standing in a matter of seconds.

Through various studies, it has been found that the best results come by adding a minimum of 10 minutes of standing for every 20 to 30 minutes that one spends sitting. But, it should be noted that standing alone is not effective enough. It is incredibly important that at least 2 minutes in each 10 be devoted to moving around in order to encourage the best circulation throughout one's body.

A very common misconception among many people is that to constitute moving they must do vigorous exercising, which is incorrect. Movement can consist of anything, even walking to get a drink, going outside for fresh air, or stepping in place. So long as there is action in the muscles, the blood will be encouraged to flow effectively, feeding the entire body and especially the heart.

So much at one's life is spent sitting. Whether it is time spent in the riding in transportation, watching television at home, or being at work, the sedentary position can adversely affect one's health in many different ways. The key to minimizing the risks is to institute a combination of sitting, standing, and moving to improve posture, bone and muscle strength, and circulation.




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