In most cases, work in the office is mainly done sitting down. However, the fact that it is hardly healthy for the body to spend an excessive amount of time sitting down has already been scientifically proven.
In this context, more and more researchers are currently looking into the question of whether an alternative could be to replace conventional desks with standing desks. It is now suspected that this could even have a positive effect on general engagement during work.
With the help of standing desks, the time spent sitting for long periods every day, which is shown to be extremely unhealthy, can be significantly reduced. Not only the work performance, but also the well-being of the employees should be improved in this way, as it can be read in a report in the “British Medical Journal”.
However, the health benefits of standing in general have not yet been conclusively determined.
Prevention Of Heart Disease, Diabetes And Cancer
Today, there are already a large number of studies that have proven that sitting too long is detrimental to health. It increases the risk of various diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, arteriosclerosis and heart disease. The occupational group that spends a particularly high proportion of their day sitting is, by its very nature, office workers. Their working hours provide for 75 to 80 percent sedentary work.
British researchers recently investigated whether a reduction in the amount of time spent sitting could be achieved if the office was equipped with standing desks and a motivational support program was also implemented. In the course of the study, the workstations of 77 office workers were equipped with height-adjustable desks. In addition, the subjects were informed about the negative consequences of sitting for long periods of time for their health. At regular intervals, they were encouraged to work more frequently while standing. In addition, their personal sitting behavior was evaluated.
Over a period of several days, a small device fixed to the hip was used to record the physical activity of the subjects – both at the beginning of the study and after three, six and twelve months. The study participants also had to complete questionnaires containing questions about their general satisfaction with their work, their commitment, and how they felt. The control group consisted of a further 69 office workers.
Sitting Time Can Be Reduced – With Higher Commitment
The results showed that the introduction of standing desks was able to reduce the time spent sitting each day by one hour per day. At the beginning of the study, sitting time still averaged 9.7 hours. A reduction of about 50 minutes was seen after just three months. After one year, the participants spent as much as one hour and 22 minutes less sitting – instead, they worked standing up during this time.
But the questionnaires also provided interesting findings. They contained indications that both general professional commitment and work performance were optimized compared with the control group. Employees who worked at a standing desk were less likely to feel exhausted and also less likely to suffer from lower back problems.
However, the study participants still spent too much time sitting at the end of the study. Indeed, an increased risk to health already arises with sitting times of between six and eight hours. In addition, hardly any change could be observed with regard to the subjects’ activity. They did not integrate more movement into their daily work routine in this way – they merely stood at their desks instead of sitting in front of them.
It is still unclear to the scientists whether this has any significant health benefits. It is also questionable whether it is even possible for companies to implement the program cost-effectively.
Significant Increase In Productivity Through High Tables
A similar study was conducted in Texas in 2016. This showed that standing desks do indeed provide some benefits.
In the study, 167 call center employees were observed by researchers over a period of six months. Half of the test subjects received height-adjustable desks. At the end of the study, it was found that the employees who worked at the standing desks were able to increase their physical well-being as well as their productivity – and this by an impressive 46 percent in contrast to the participants in the control group, who continued to work sitting at their desks.
Standing Desks As Prevention For Back Problems
Baua, the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, has produced a guide to well-being in the office. This guide also advocates equipping offices with standing desks. In this way, complaints in the back, for example, which can often be traced back to office work, can be avoided.
In this context, however, it would not only be important to replace conventional desks with standing desks. Ergonomic office chairs also play an essential role, as does a suitable lighting concept and the ability to tilt the screen in different directions.
According to Baua, however, dynamic sitting during work is of the utmost importance. This involves adopting different sitting postures during work and regularly switching between them. This ensures optimal care of the intervertebral discs and reduces muscle fatigue. It also has a stimulating effect on the circulation.
