With many businesses realising the benefits of offering their staff ways to stay healthy in the workplace, the popularity of standing desks and height adjustable desks from Height Adjustable Desks Online are on the rise, but are they right for every office? Here Egan Reid, a leading office furniture company, take a look at each type of desk, the health benefits of standing desks and how you should decide whether they’re right for you.
Standard Seated Desks
The staple of many office environments, seated desks can be found everywhere from reception to the top floor of many a corporation. Once a simple hard chair and desk would do, but today’s workstations and chairs are ergonomically designed to counteract the aches and pains. This, along with the addition of footrests, monitor stands and ergonomic keyboards, makes for a more comfortable way to work.
So, it can be argued that with regular breaks to get up and walk around the office, workers’ needs are more than adequately catered for with a seated desk.
Why Stand?
There are more than a few benefits to standing desks, and whether you feel these have been a little overhyped in the media, or are already convinced that this is the way to go, there are some interesting bits of information you may want to consider.
Standing Is Good for You
According to research, an afternoon of sedentary work spent standing can burn up to 170 calories more than if a worker were to perform this work sitting down. That may not sound like much at all, but this could add up to almost 1000 calories more than if workers were to spend the time seated. In addition, it can have a beneficial effect on both blood sugar levels, and could lower the risk of heart disease.
When it comes to reducing those aches and pains of a long day behind a desk, standing desks can help here too. Several studies were performed on those with long-term backache, and 32% of those taking part in these studies have noted a reduced level of pain when using a standing desk.
Is It Right for Your Office?
Of course, there are cases where workers will be unable to stand for long periods, either due to medical conditions or due to the tasks they need to perform at a desk.
If standing desks really aren’t a popular suggestion, then allowing workers short breaks to move around – and enforcing them – should help to reduce the problems that stem from sitting down for too long.
Design Issues
Whilst many office layouts, especially call centres, tend to favour the rows of desks with ergonomic chairs approach, there are many ways to ensure you make the best of the space you have yet still provide workers with the option for standing desks.
Contacting a company to help fit out your office in a way that suits both your budget, and your workers’ needs is a great way to throw out the old rules of office design and embrace a new, yet healthy way of working.
