People have been sitting behind desks for hours at a time for ages. Whether it’s at the office or at home, sitting at a desk for too long or too often can often have a detrimental impact on your health. Luckily, you don’t have to stay seated any longer. Have you ever heard of a standing desk? It’s exactly what it sounds like — a desk where you stand instead of sit. Not only can switching to standing change your general outlook and comfort level, it also brings along many positive attributes with it as well. In fact many Millennial Women Leaders use standing desks and reap the benefits. If you’re considering giving a standing desk a try, keep reading. Here are three reasons to make the switch.
1. More Energy and Improved Mood
Have you ever found yourself slouching over your keyboard and staring blankly at the computer screen with heavy eyelids, while mindlessly eating a not-so-healthy snack? Maybe you’re feeling sluggish or you’ve been putting on weight due to too much inactivity, or you’re just not feeling your best. Those situations are all too familiar with so many people. The good news? There are ways to make it better, and it’s less complicated than you might think.
Something as quick and easy as standing up instead of sitting down has the power to give you more energy throughout the day, which also means you might notice an improvement in your overall mood and maybe even shed some excess pounds. However, that’s not the only way you can feel more energetic and even keeled. Supplementing is a great solution for women who are struggling with fatigue, mood swings or weight gain. Hormone balance supplements could potentially be the missing piece. Standing more could also improve symptoms of anxiety or depression, with one of the reasons being because you’re more engaged. It’s also common for those using standing desks to feel less isolated, which can be helpful in lessening those symptoms as well.
2. Decreased Chance of Heart Disease and Diabetes
If you have ever researched health-related statistics regarding standing versus sitting, you shouldn’t be too surprised to read that sitting is one of the unhealthiest things for your body. It’s sometimes even compared to smoking in terms of side effects and decreased mortality.
You might think that if you spend plenty of time exercising throughout the week, it won’t matter if you’re sitting a desk for seven to eight hours each day. Unfortunately, that’s not the case — excessive sitting has the power to send you back to Square 1, basically erasing the positive benefits of your time working out. Sitting also increases your chance of developing Type 2 diabetes, because a sedentary lifestyle means your body isn’t moving and working to break down the fats and sugars the way it’s supposed to.
Don’t forget about the importance of circulation. When you’re sitting, blood tends to pool in the legs rather than flow freely and easily throughout the body. Standing immediately wakes up your muscles and your body instantly becomes more engaged, enabling blood to flow evenly. However, it’s important to note that there is a happy medium in terms of whether to sit or stand at a desk. Because certain conditions, such as varicose veins — could become irritated from too much of either one, so using your best judgement is critical here. An even mix of sitting and standing may be ideal for you, and that’s okay. The goal is to combat a sedentary lifestyle, which isn’t good for anyone.
3. Increased Productivity
Now that you know how standing up is a great way to increase your energy, take it one step further. Having increased energy throughout the workday not only means you’ll be more alert, you’ll likely be more focused as well. Wondering why this happens? This is where all the benefits of standing collide. Everything from increased blood flow to full-body engagement plays a huge part in your ability to be productive. Additionally, standing means better posture, which means less instances of pain in the neck, shoulders and back — all telltale signs of too much sitting. And when you feel better, you’ll perform better all around.
The Overall Point
If you’re considering switching to a standing desk, keep in mind that everybody is different and everybody’s experience will be different too. The best way to decide if it’s right for you is to give one a try, but do some research first. If you work in an office and feel as though you could benefit from one, chat with your employer. Focus on the talking points of improved employee health and mortality, morale and well-being for everyone. If you work from home or spend a lot of time in your home office, this would be a great home improvement.
