Are Standing Desks The Answer?
Mar 07, 2022
“Maybe if I just buy this standing desk, things will be better!”
Does this sound like you? If so, this article is tailor-made for you.
Let's go through many of the questions one-by-one. Maybe some of these will be of help to you if you are considering a standing desk.
Question 1: “Do you think I should get a standing desk?”
Generally speaking, yes! Though my reasoning won't be what you might think. As with any tool, it’s not really about the tool, it's about the intent behind using the tool. For many, the intent of having a stand-up desk is because they have back pain and are looking to stop sitting for most of their day. For others, it’s about improving overall health and wellness by standing more, as standing burns more calories than sitting. It all depends on what your intent is! First, find out exactly why you want a standing desk and then you can figure out why one might be for you (or not!).
Question 2: “What are the main benefits of a standing desk?”
It allows an opportunity for changing your movement patterns throughout your day.
If you were to sit or stand with “perfect posture” at work for an entire year, both would have their own set of problems. For the person who stands all day, their feet would start to really hurt; then possibly their knees or low back. Before long, they’d need to sit!
For the person who sits at work for an entire year, they eventually need to get up because their back and knees start to hurt.
For both parties, it’s not the fact that they are standing or sitting all day in a “perfect posture,” it’s that they need an opportunity to change their position to really feel better!
A standing desk that has the option to be both in a low and high position allows for both of these individuals to either sit or stand depending on how they are feeling. The key for them is more motion throughout the day! The key benefit for a desk that goes up AND down is that you can adjust your body more throughout the day, and more varied motion throughout your day is the KEY to longevity!
Question 3: “Why shouldn’t I get a standing desk?”
- If the desk is not up/down adjustable and you’ll be standing for 8 hours a day without another location to work.
- If you think just getting a standing desk will rid you of (fill in the problem here) without doing more exercise, stretching, strengthening, etc. as well.
So, are standing desks amazing? YES! They are a great tool in the arsenal of a healthy individual. They allow for more movement throughout your day, of which is an absolute blessing! But don’t go thinking that just because you’re standing all day long, you will automatically feel much better. The key is varied motion every day, from both the office, to the yoga mat, to the gym, and to the couch!
More movement is always better.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna get to my stretches after finishing this blog post.
Thanks for reading,
Dr. Marcus PT, DPT
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