3 Health Benefits of Giving Employees Standing Desks
Sitting too much can lead to a serious health problem. It is said that people who sit a lot every day have higher chances of contracting diseases like diabetes, heart-related complications, and even early death. Moreover, sitting does not help you burn calories as you should, a factor that has often been associated with obesity.
Sitting for long hours is a major problem for office workers who often sit down the better part of the day. Luckily, standing desks are becoming more popular.
Also referred to as stand-up desks, these desks allow you to stand while doing your office work comfortably. The latest varieties are adjustable so that you can change its height to one that suits you.
Today, many firms and businesses are installing standing desks to improve the health and well-being of their employees. This will entirely change the working culture while diversifying the working environment for high work output. After all, a healthy employee means increased productivity in your business.
Here are 3 health benefits of giving your employees standing desks.
1. They help Improve Mood and Energy Levels
Standing desks seem to have a positive impact on the overall well-being of an employee. In a research conducted in one and half months, participants who used standing desks reported less stress and fatigue than those who remained seated the whole work day.
Moreover, nearly 90 percent of the people who used standing desks showed increased energy and vigor all day long. This means that after installing standing desks in their business premises, businesses are going to record significant profits that are necessitated by all day vigor and energized employees.
2. Standing Desks May Boost Productivity
There is a mutual concern that standing desks will hinder some of the daily tasks like typing. Standing each morning or afternoon may certainly take some time to get used to, but standing desks have proved to have no substantial effect on one’s normal work tasks.
In a study involving 60 office employees using a standing desk four hours daily, no effect on characters typed per minute was recorded. Bearing in mind that using a standing desk improves mood and energy at the workplace, installing them in your firm is most likely to boost efficiency rather than obstruct it. As such, installing standing desks in a business will not only improve employees’ health status but also increase productivity in the business.
3. Standing Desks Reduce Risks of Heart Disease, Weight Gain, and Back Pain
A study showed that bus conductors who stood all day were less likely to face the risk of heart related diseases or deaths than their associates in the driver’s seats. Scientists contend that a prolonged sitting time will increase the chance of contracting a heart disease up to 147 percent. With such statistics, there is no doubt that standing more at work is helpful for heart fitness.
Weight gain and obesity have been often associated with sedentary lifestyle. Obesity or weight gain is certainly caused by more unburned calories. Whereas exercising is very effective in burning calories, standing can also be beneficial in burning those calories. It has been found that when comparing afternoon sitting time and the time spent standing, over 170 calories are burned. This can lead to a thousand burnt calories every week.
Most employees who sit all day in their offices have often complained of back pain. Back pain can negatively impact the productivity of an employee. However, studies show that standing desks can avert the problem of back pain within a period of two weeks. To minimize weight gain, obesity, and back pain that might affect the productivity of employees in the end, businesses are considering standing desks for their employees.
Conclusion
Generally, standing desks can increase the flow of tasks in your business or organization while promoting the wellness and interactive culture of your employees. With an improved mood, energy, and a reduced back pain and other health-related issues at work, standing desks are going to dominate the workplaces in the future.
