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The best standing desk can really affect your health in a good way.
The Focal Locus – High End Adjustable Desk makes a statement and all but… Standing desks aren’t exactly a fad or a quirk of some of the more open-minded office workers: They address the very real health concern of sitting too much. It seems that the human body prefers more standing-oriented activities. Put it in a chair at a desk for multiple hours every day, and the negative effects can become extreme.
Our standing desks reviews have all of the info you need to learn all about these desks.
Part of this is a result of inaction, and part of the problem seems to be the shape the human body is wedged in when sitting in a chair. It creates serious, harmful effects on metabolic functions, cardiovascular health, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, weight gain, and increases the risk of some very serious diseases.
Thus enters the standing or stand up desk, which lets you work at a desk while on your feet. There are some very advanced models out there these days, but they all share similar advantages. Here are some of the immediate (and important) standing desk benefits of the best standing desks.
Healthier Metabolism (and Reduced Risk of Diabetes)
Something unfortunate happens when you sit at a desk without moving for long periods: Your body stops burning calories. It doesn’t just burn fewer calories because you’re not moving, it appears to enter a different state entirely. Studies have found that sitting for long periods of time can inhibit your body’s control of blood sugar levels, changing how responsive your body becomes to glucose.
The most dangerous result of this is, of course, type 2 diabetes, a known result of metabolic syndrome. This has been particularly noted among those already at risk for developing diabetes. So a standing desk can not only help you maintain a healthy, consistent metabolism, it can also help you avoid serious, long-term conditions like diabetes in the future.
Burning Calories
Those burned calories from standing can do more than just maintain glucose levels. It may not seem like a big difference, but your body actually needs significantly more energy to maintain balance when standing. Additionally, standing encourages small movements like shifting your weight, tapping your feet, and – if you are really into your music – bobbing to a tune. Your muscles are always active. This adds up, and it adds up to a lot. Studies have shown that people who stand and move around at work can shrug off as much as 1,000 extra calories per day, not gaining any extra weight.
That’s right, another of the big standing desk benefits is the ability to stave off obesity and maybe even lose a few pounds.
A Healthier Heart
The cardiovascular system isn’t a fan of sitting, either. The exact cause isn’t certain, but sitting seems to affect the way that blood flows through your body, and not in a way that your heart appreciates. Studies have shown that sitting for extended periods can increase the chance of cardiovascular disease events like angina or heart attacks by around 125 percent. That’s enough to make anyone nervous, and has certainly inspired the current wave of modern, electrical standing desks growing more common in offices around the world.
Less Chance of Cancer
At first glance it may seem unlikely that cancer has anything to do with sitting or standing. But here’s the thing: Some cancers seem to be linked to physical activity, and risk can increase with long periods of inaction. Breast and colon cancer are both notably influenced by physical activity. However, lung cancer, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer could all be influenced by long-term sitting. The benefits of a standing desk, then, include lowering the risk of getting cancer.
A Longer Life
Yes, you can see where this is going. With increasing the risk of all these dangerous or fatal conditions, sitting appears to significantly decrease the lifespan. Long-term sitting in front of a screen may increase the risk of death from any cause by as much as 50 percent. Standing up while you work may, in fact, help you live longer.
Productivity
Companies have also found that standing desk benefits include increased productivity, which is why big corporations like FF Venture Capital, Google, Facebook and others have started including more stand up desks in their work areas. It may boost productivity by more than 10 percent!
Sidenote: Preventing Injuries
While sitting does seem to be a trainwreck where your health is concerned, standing isn’t exactly a panacea. There are studies that show it holds dangers of its own, including increased demands on your circulatory system and ankle/foot problems from, well, all that standing. You can help prevent some of these issues by switching between sitting and standing (if you can change your standing desk height). A comfortable mat to stand on can also make a big difference – and you may want to switch to some more comfortable shoes. T
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