Benefits of standing in the workplace

Medical research is showing that sitting all day at work could be harming our health and productivity.

Scandinavia is leading the way on workers’ rights to sit and stand.  The expectation of varying working positions throughout the day is so widespread across Scandinavia that over 80 percent of Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Norwegian office workers already use sit-stand workstations, and offering employees a height-adjustable workstation is now mandatory in Denmark. There are currently no UK guidelines, though the Health and Safety Executive does suggest allowing seated workers to move around every so often to avoid discomfort or ­long-term health problems.

The USA is increasing research into the benefits of standing with various studies published in the last few years.

• Workers who used sit-stand desks were 78% more likely to report a pain-free day than those who used regular workstations, according to a Stanford University back pain study.

• At their 2013 annual meeting, the American Medical Association adopted policy recognising potential risks of prolonged sitting and encouraging employers, employees and others to make available alternatives to sitting, such as sit-stand desks.

• A 2011 study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that when workers are equipped with sit-stand workstations, prolonged sitting is reduced and mood states improve.

Under British workplace law, it is mandatory to have a DSE assessment of your sitting position whilst at a desk. The truth is that there is no correct sitting position. Our bodies are designed to stand and move for long periods of time. And we automatically shift our weight and move around while standing. Standing prevents both the repetitive stress and muscle degeneration that is caused by sitting.

Various organisations in the UK have done a great deal to raise awareness of the health perils risked by the many Brits who spend  8.5 hours a day or more sitting down, and a perusal of research cited on the NHS Choices website tells us that, compared to the shortest time spent sedentary, the longest time spent sitting was associated with a:

• 112 percent increase in risk of diabetes

• 147 percent increase in cardiovascular events

• 90 percent increase in death due to cardiovascular events

• 49 percent increase in death due to any cause

Interior Options are currently a free trial of an electric height adjustable sit-stand desk at your location. To book yours please get in touch with us to arrange, and try it for yourself with no obligations.