What does the typical office workspace look like? If I were to ask you this question, you would say that it looks like a person sitting at a corner desk using a computer to do their tasks. But what if I told you that this is just one answer. Traditionally, this is what a typical office workspace would look like, but things seem to be changing in this day and age. Things seem to be evolving. You would still see the old-fashioned sitting-and-working method in a typical work environment. But, you would also see a different way of working—the standing-and-working method. Yes, you heard correctly!
A survey conducted by The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) showed that less than 30% of the respondents do not feel that their work meets their ergonomic needs. This may not be a severe issue, but it means that employees physically feel uncomfortable in their work environments. This can lead to serious problems down the line, such as chronic back pain and overall stress on the body. Luckily there is a solution to this problem. Investing in your own ergonomic chair!
The standing desk has become a rapid competitor to the traditional sitting desk we’ve all known and love. Companies such as Apple, Facebook, and Google all have workers using this replacement of office material. But you might be wondering, what’s so great about the standing desk that is making big companies use them? Let’s take a look at some of the benefits a standing desk might have as opposed to the traditional way of working at a desk.
Before we get into the benefits, let’s familiarize ourselves with the topic at hand. If you don’t already know, the standing desk is a desk that allows you to stand up while working. It is more elevated than a typical work desk and adjustable to compliment any height you may need. This “new” trend isn’t all that new, however. Standing desks have been around for quite some time now and have only picked up steam because of the numerous health benefits, and positive results workplaces have gotten from them. In addition, famous individuals such as Winston Churchill and Leonardo da Vinci have been known to prefer this type of desk.
Less Back Pain
One of the big arguments you can make for working at a standing desk is the benefit of reducing the infamous side effect of sitting down for too long, which is back pain. Of course, there are ways to combat back pain while sitting down, like investing in an ergonomic chair. However, with a standing desk, the chances of stressing your spine are significantly decreased.
Less Fatigue
But you might be thinking, “sure my back isn’t in much pain, but if I’m standing, wouldn’t my legs get tired?” Well, the answer to that is yes, your legs would get tired. But, with a standing desk comes its popular accessory partner, the standing desk chair. It seems a bit ironic that you would be sitting while working at a standing desk, but this specific type of stool is designed so that your knees and legs don’t get tired from working in an elevated position. While sitting at a traditional desk, your legs are locked at a 90-degree angle, which will cause stress to them if you get up multiple times throughout the day. With the standing desk stool, your hips remain open, and your knees stay in a relaxed position so that there is no strain when you get up.
With this new positioning, there have been many factual studies that improve motivation in the workplace and lessen fatigue. For example, when we are sitting in our regular 90-degree position, our bodies are relaxed and no longer need to exert the energy required when standing up. This can cause a problem because sitting down may accidentally make us feel tired, thus making us feel less motivated to do our work. When standing up, however, our bodies, though they may still feel a sense of tiredness, will be awake and prepared to complete tasks.
Better Health
The positioning is good for our motivation at work and better for our overall health. Though research on the subject is incomplete, studies have shown that standing desk workstations reduce many health problems that could contribute when sitting down traditionally at a desk for long periods. Health problems like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and chronic back pain are possible. It’s solely because of the positions we are sitting in that make this happen.
There are certain cons to the standing desk, however. The first has to do with cost. Standing desks are more expensive than regular desks because of the added flexible material. There are also weight limits for cheap convertors, which could be a problem if you have a heavy monitor. And although the standing desk tries to adjust to every height possible, some are non-adjustable, which can be challenging if someone with an abnormal height is working at one of these desks. Getting a good adjustable desk can help you use the standing desk comfortably.
Standing desks aren’t limited to just the workspace but can also be something you get for gaming. There are now many gaming standing desks out there and choosing a standing desk as your gaming desk can be a good idea. Many gaming standing desks allow you to adjust the height so you can use it as both a standing and sitting desk allowing you to sit and stand while gaming.
Conclusion
Although standing desks may come with their risks, there are still a lot of benefits that come with them. Who knows if these workstations will replace the standard sitting desks that we know today, but as mentioned before, office workspaces are changing. They are evolving. And it’s only a matter of time until something else comes along the way that could change the game as well. There are always new products coming out. For example, sit-stand desks have become relatively common recently. Desks that can be used as both a standing desk and a sitting desk. The desk’s height can be adjusted so that it can be used for both purposes and you can alternate between standing and sitting. This can give you the benefits of both a standing desk and a sitting desk. With technological advancements, more ergonomic furniture is coming out and providing office workers with more health benefits. This also makes ergonomic furniture more affordable and easily accessible to everyone.