10 Reasons Standing Better Than Sitting

If you're reading this article on your computer or laptop, there's a good chance you're sitting at work suffering from a sore back, struggling with low energy, worrying about your long-term health, or perhaps all the above. In other words, you're wondering why standing is better than sitting at work and asking the obvious follow-up question: why are standing desks good for you?

We here at Stand Up Desk Store are proud to say that we've done our homework in terms of keeping informed of current information on the subject. We've also attended events like ergonomics conferences, where we've learned from a wide variety of experts who've extensively researched the subject by studying thousands of workers in real-world situations. Based on the current research, we feel the best approach is to adopt a work style where you frequently transition between sitting and standing. The amount of time you spend standing on your feet vs. sitting in a chair will vary based on factors like health, age, and physical fitness. But regardless of who you are, you want to avoid extended periods of time in sedentary positions.

That's why we design our height adjustable desks and standing desks converters for lightning-fast and effortless sitting to standing transitions. Our popular standing desk mat keeps you comfortable on hard floors. And for those who prefer a fixed height desk, we offer add-ons like our drafting chair and active motion stools to empower you to sit down or stand up without missing a beat.

Is your interest piqued? Want to learn more? Here's a list of our top 10 reasons why standing desks are better than sitting.

Top 10 Reasons Standing is Better Than Sitting 

1. Reduced Risk of Obesity & Cardiovascular Disease
   

According to the Mayo Clinic(1), sitting for prolonged periods can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and more. In their article, they cited a study that compared people who sat in excess of 4 hours per day to people who sat fewer than 2 hours. The study found the excess sedentary time resulted in a 125% increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks. A 2010 Australian Study(2) even suggests that for every extra hour we sit, our risk of dying from cardiovascular disease increases by 11 percent.

2. Reduced Risk of Certain Types of Cancer

Researchers with the American Cancer Society concluded that “…women who spend 6 hours or more of free time sitting per day have a 10% greater risk of getting cancer than women who spend less than 3 hours of free time sitting per day.”(3) This included specific increases in ovarian and breast cancer. Scientific American, meanwhile, wrote that a two-hour increase in sitting translates to an 8% increased risk of colon cancer(4).

3. Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

An article published by NBC News(5) states that time spent not moving around causes your body to use less blood sugar. As a direct result, every two hours spent sitting each day ups the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7%.

4. Mitigation of Pain

As an expert at Stanford University explains, sitting distorts the natural curve of your spine, causing certain muscle groups to support a disproportionate amount of your body weight. This can lead to a wide variety of pain and spine issues, including slipped discs(6).

5. Mitigation of Depression, Stress, & Anxiety

Psychology Today cited studies that conducted tests on thousands of workers in places like the UK and Australia(7). These showed a direct correlation between sitting for long periods and symptoms of depression, psychological distress, as well as a lower sense of well-being.

6. Improved Overall Wellness

In a study conducted by the American Diabetes Association(8), researchers found that participants who alternated between sitting and standing boasted slimmer waistlines, lower BMIs, and healthier fat and blood sugar levels than those who primarily sat. Additional studies have consistently shown that standing while at work also reduces the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease(9). Finally, standing desks, when set up utilizing proper ergonomic principles, have been shown to engage the “…postural muscles in a way that sitting cannot accomplish. While sitting, it is much easier to slouch, which creates a weak neck and back muscles. But when you are standing, it enables the neck, back, and hip muscles to activate, thereby preventing the muscles from weakening. (10)”

7. Boosted Productivity

The elation a triathlete feels at the end of a hard race isn’t just satisfaction for a job well done. There are also a number of powerful physiological factors that also occur - the same factors a worker can enjoy when standing. For example, endorphin levels rise when a person is active, causing a feeling of alertness, a reduction in stress, as well as more ambition to take on difficult projects. Because standing triples energy expenditure(11) as compared with sitting, it also regulates cortisol levels, a stress hormone that increases with inactivity and has links to depression and decreased energy. Finally, standing promotes greater blood flow, which in turn stimulates brain activity. This translates to a boost of energy that can lead to a more productive - and satisfying - workday. 

8. Enhanced Collaboration

In addition to the physical and psychological health benefits standing desks provide, they have been shown to enhance teamwork. In a study(12) from Washington University in St. Louis, researchers found that standing while working can encourage more creativity and collaboration among team members. This is because standing desks foster movement around the work environment and brainstorming with coworkers. By contrast, sedentary workspaces have been shown to inhibit engagement, while increasing the occurrences of individuals being private and territorial about their work.

9. Better for Business

The risks of “sitting disease” not only affect the quality of life of individuals but are potentially costly to organizations as well. Specifically, sitting and other sedentary behaviors have been shown to significantly affect the number of sick days taken(13), plus health insurance and workers compensation claims. In recent years, these have translated to an estimated $576 billion in costs(14). In addition, chair-bound, sedentary workers are often less energetic, have difficulty focusing, and possess a less-positive outlook than their active coworkers.

10. Great for Education, Too

Stand Up Desks enhance learning environments in all the same ways they improve workplaces. In a two-year study conducted in a Texas school district, students using standing desks showed a 3% decrease in BMI while their sitting counterparts saw a 2% increase(15). Other research links sedentary activity and symptoms of ADHD(16). This is something that standing while learning can help mitigate. In addition, student standing student desks are typically designed quickly transition between sitting and standing. They are also often designed to be mobile so they can easily be moved from rows to clusters and more for seamless room transitions between activities.

We hope these examples help demonstrate why standing is better than sitting alone!

References

1. “What are the risks of sitting too much?” Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005

2. “Television viewing time and mortality: the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab).” US National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20065160.

3. “Sitting Too Much Increases Cancer Risk in Women” American Cancer Society, https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/sitting-too-much-increases-cancer-risk-in-women.html.

4. Blaszczak-Boxe, Agata, “Prolonged Sitting May Increase Risk of Certain Cancers” Scientific American, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/prolonged-sitting-may-increase-risk-of-certain-cancers/.

5. Yeager, Selene. “Your body’s big enemy? You’re sitting on it” NBC News, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/34209499/ns/health-fitness/t/your-bodys-big-enemy-youre-sitting-it/%23.WaQ0jK2ZO8U#.WbLUcq2ZOu4.

6. Pan, Joann. “Why Sitting Too Much Is Dangerous” Mashable, http://mashable.com/2012/06/18/too-much-sitting/#7dVab7mCIZqn.

7. Wasmer, Andrews, Linda “What Sitting Does to Your Psyche” Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/minding-the-body/201403/what-sitting-does-your-psyche.

8. Breaks in Sedentary Time, Beneficial associations with metabolic risk” American Diabetes Association, http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/4/661.full.

9. Stromberg, Joseph. “Five Health Benefits of Standing Desks” Smithsonian Magazine, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-health-benefits-standing-desks-180950259/.

10. “Standing Desks: Are They Worth It?” Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, http://www.nj-cmd.com/blog/standing-desks-worth/.

11. “Energy expenditure during common sitting and standing tasks: examining the 1.5 MET definition of sedentary behavior” BioMed Central, https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-1851-x.

12. “Get Up, Stand Up, The Effects of a Non-Sedentary Workspace on Information Elaboration and Group Performance” Knight, Andrew P., Baer, Markus. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550614538463.

13. “Absenteeism and Employer Cost Associated With Chronic Diseases and Health Risk Factors in the US Workforce” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2016/15_0503.htm.

14. Jaspen, Bruce. “U.S. Workforce Illness Costs $576B Annually From Sick Days To Workers Compensation” Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2012/09/12/u-s-workforce-illness-costs-576b-annually-from-sick-days-to-workers-compensation/#18a299ab5db0.

15. Wendel, Monica, Benden, Mark E., Zhao, Hongwei, and Jeffrey, Christina. “Stand-Biased Versus Seated Classrooms and Childhood Obesity: A Randomized Experiment in Texas” American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303323.

16. Berwide, Olga G. and Halperin, Jeffrey M. “Emerging Support for a Role of Exercise in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Intervention Planning” US National Library of Medicine