Health Tips

The Bonus Benefits of a Stand Up Desk

We all know that sitting long hours of the day does slow damage to our bodies, whether it’s because of the bad posture or the fact that we’re not being active, which can lead to serious issues like diabetes or cancer.

sitting-on-desk

Somewhere along the way you may have stumbled across an article or two about standing desks. The type of desks where you stand. Usually articles about this topic will give you a quick run-down of the health benefits, which usually include the fact when using a standing desk you’re A) active, B) reducing your risk of above-mentioned issues, and C) gaining energy because you’re mobile.

Well, there are bonus benefits to standing desks that some of these articles do not cover, so let’s go ahead and take a look at a few of them:

A. They’re adjustable (and have extra features)

Stand up desks have evolved since taking off in popularity a few years ago. Most tutorials and offerings generally left you with a desk that was fixed in terms of height. This is fine sometimes but other times you may want to make adjustments depending on the type of work you’re doing or if you do decide to sit at times.

Newer stand up desks are adjustable and have a lot of other neat, built-in features that conform to how high or low you want the desk to be raised.

B. It’s easier to take mental breaks

Think that spending all your time at the desk, completely focused on the work, will improve your productivity? Nope. We humans have a relatively short attention span and long hours trying to work on a handful of problems will tire us out and naturally lead to distraction.

In a lot of ways, it’s better to just take short breaks here and there versus trying to grind out long hours.

Mental concentration is similar to a muscle, says John P. Trougakos, an assistant management professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management. It becomes fatigued after sustained use and needs a rest period before it can recover, he explains — much as a weight lifter needs rest before doing a second round of repetitions at the gym. (Read more)

These micro-breaks allow you to step away from the work, process what you’ve accomplished, get hyped about the next activity, and come back with energy. It also gives you some time to socialize. Since you’re already standing you can easily switch gears versus feeling like you need to remain seated at your desk. Bonus!

C. It adds novelty (and that’s fun)

Sometimes it’s just good to switch it up with work because it’s very easy to lose your passion for everyday tasks when you’re going into the same environment day after day. A standing desk adds a layer of novelty that will present a variety of mental benefits:

  • Gives you something interesting to talk about with coworkers
  • Presents a personal challenge to see if you can do it
  • Lets you add in weight loss and exercise to an otherwise stagnant work time
  • Provides space for neat things like a mini fridge or your pet
  • Doesn’t allow you to be put in a corner when someone walks in on you.

It’s kind of silly but these things happen when you’re doing your work while standing. A bit of novelty goes a long way when all it feels like is you and your work. Changing it up from time to time may be the solution if you’re feeling drained on motivation, so why not give it a try? Bonus!

What say you? Would you be up for trying out a standing desk? The health benefits alone are well worth the trial but there are also these great bonus benefits to it, too!