Taking a Stand for Office Ergonomics
The health hazards of sitting for long stretches are significant even for people who are quite active when they’re not sitting down
Still, scientists have determined that after an hour or more of sitting, the production of enzymes that burn fat in the body declines by as much as 90 percent. Extended sitting, they add, slows the body’s metabolism of glucose and lowers the levels of good (HDL) cholesterol in the blood. Those are risk factors toward developing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
“The science is still evolving, but we believe that sitting is harmful in itself,” says Dr. Toni Yancey, a professor of health services at the University of California, Los Angeles.
I switched to standing desks several years ago. My upper office work tables are a few inches above waist-height. A fat squirrel enjoys running up and down the redwood tree just outside the window.
Step-stools lift my 120″ x 32″ work surface off the floor.
Downstairs in the Lab, I work at a waist-high slab of butcher block I bought at IKEA and mounted atop storage cabinets.
Those with sharp eyes will note Internet Time Lines, my n-scale model railroad, at the back of the butcher block top.
Do I get tired from standing all day? Never. I do suggest standing on a rug rather than a hard floor:
Leonardo da Vinci, Ben Franklin, and Winston Churchill worked at standing desks and that’s good enough for me.
Wondering what this has to do with my primary interests in happiness and working smarter? Healthier people are happier and more productive than the norm. Standing up at work adds a few years to your life!
I’m reading a great book right now called, “Is Your Chair Killing You?” by Kent Burden. Very revealing!
Thanks, Jay! Two questions, if you would…
How long did it take you to get used to standing?
Are you attentive if you are standing with your weight distributed between both legs or tend to tilt to one side or another?
Nancy, it took so little time getting accustomed to standing that I don’t remember that period. Sometimes I still lean on my elbows. My left elbow is sporting a callous to prove it.
I frequently tilt from side to side. That may be just me. I fidget when sitting down, too. I blame my ADD for that.
The Amazon review of the book Joyce mentioned says, “Sitting for extended periods of time is as bad for your health as smoking cigarettes. And exercising for 30-60 minutes a day isn’t enough to undo the damage from extended periods of sitting. Is Your Chair Killing You reveals shocking new research showing that sitting for long periods greatly increases your risk of developing obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. Our bodies were designed to move constantly over the course of the day, but most of us sit for hours a day at work and at home! Fitness and wellness expert and award-winning author Kent Burden has created brief, simple movements you can incorporate into your daily life to combat the damaging effects of sitting. These simple movements, done standing for 1-5 minutes each hour will burn calories, energize and refresh you, and you won’t even break a sweat; you’ll even improve your back pain. This book is a how-to for weight loss and disease prevention. Read this book–you’ll be healthier in as little as 8 minutes a day.”