Mar
17
To sit or stand?
I’m standing while I write this post, actually I’ve been standing at my desk all day, writing, on the phone, emailing and researching. Why am I standing? Well it appears, and the evidence is mounting, that standing while you work is much better for your health. The idea has been around for a few years and some research has affirmed the benefits.
Sitting is the new smoking!
So how important is standing or moving regularly for those who find themselves sitting all day?
The “sitting is the new smoking” label may be taking it a bit far, however, even if you are regularly active, after long periods of sitting throughout the day you may not be in the clear as far as the research is concerned. Researchers have has repeatedly shown that even a 30-60 min bout of daily exercise is not enough to compensate for the negative health affect of extended periods of sitting. Increasing physical activity is one thing, but reducing sitting time is what is needed to lower our exposure to long term chronic health conditions.
Data from the longitudinal “45 and Up study” out of Australia found that “a two-fold approach of sitting less and moving more is key to improving health” in the over 45 age group. Sitting causes our bodies to shut down the metabolism process and that’s not good apparently. This is only one of many studies released in the past couple of months that share the same theme, long periods of sitting do cause life threatening illnesses in adults. Chronic lifestyle related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, coronary artery calcification, and the list goes on. Simply put, it is unnatural to be sitting for such long periods of time.
Actually, this is nothing new. Our bodies were meant to move, there is no doubt about that, and our brains work better when our bodies are moving because the brain gets more oxygen and blood flow allowing us to concentrate and focus better.
This TED-ed short tells it all and is a fun educational tool to share with those who are not convinced.
So if you’re over 45 watch out and move more!
But what about young people, even children. The tech and social media generation lends itself to sitting, no matter the age. Sitting whilst surfing, sitting whilst playing online, and sitting whilst working and studying. How do we encourage young people to move more?
Now I’m not suggesting more walking whilst texting or playing on mobile devices, but I am encouraging standing desks.
thanks to popsugar.com for this……I’m loving this solution
The standing desk craze hit the workplace a few years ago. Recently schools have started implementing it to get students more engaged in discussions and to counter mental fatigue due to the onset of stagnation, from being too comfortable according to this school. Standing is also suggested as a means to help children who have ‘extra-fidgety energy’. One of the kids in my mindfulness classes sometimes stands at school and at home when doing his homework, and his mother shares that it helps reduce his fidgeting.
Mixed opinion
A google search will find loads of articles taking a tongue-in-cheek look at the standing desk craze, and some organizations are spending large sums on new desk configurations to make employees more productive. There is more to it that all of this, but the best thing to do is try it for yourself.
My setup is simply a veggie box on top of my desk with books to lift everything else that needs to come up to my standing level. I love it because it get my core working and I can use help with that!
In reality though, it isn’t something that works all the time. It’s hard changing the habit of a lifetime, sitting, and it is pretty tough on the legs, so give yourself a break and sit when your body tells you it needs to. Some are suggesting the sit-stand desk that allows you both the option of sitting and standing for balance and flexibility in your daily activities. So be real, try it because it is a better and healthier way to work, but always listen to what your body needs.
What to do if you have no choice but to sit for long periods or the standing desk isn’t for you? Consider these options:
- Get up and walk around for a few minutes every hour. This is good for mental well-being and helps move the blood around. I recommend stopping every hour for a bit of mindful movement too, so you could combine a mindful walk or mindful movement as part of this regime. Using a technique like the pompodor timer helps you take that break whilst also giving you some tools for time management on projects and tasks. (P.S. you don’t need the book or the course, the app does the job well enough).
- Create a standing option for other work related activities like meetings. Standing meetings are said to be more constructive and a whole lot healthier to boot!
- Walk to a colleagues office instead of sending an email. Face to face communication is better anyway.
- Walk wherever you can even if it’s not for exercise. Walk and be outside in the environment. Even the busiest of cities have trees, parks and places that help our minds and bodies recharge and slow down, even when we walk fast. Yes you can walk fast and walk mindfully at the same time…I do.
- If you do use a standing desk even for part of the day, have some cushioning below your feet. Soft warm slippers, a thick carpet or an expensive gel pad, they all work well…I’ve tried. These help soften the impact on your joints and can help with your posture and core stabilization.
You choose….and please share the results.
Reference
Nauert, R. (2014). Stand Up to Help Improve Your Health. Psych Central. Retrieved on March 11, 2015, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/01/16/stand-up-to-help-improve-your-health/64587.html
Gross, A, 2015, Can standing desks keep students engaged?, Education Dive. www.educationdive.com/news/can-standing-desks-keep-students-engaged/369313/
Feature image credit: RAAF (Rietveld Architecture-Art-Affordances)
