Too much sitting and having a sedentary lifestyle is doing your body more harm than good. Together with fast food, alcohol, and smoking, sitting for long hours is one of the factors affecting the well-being of yuppies.
What’s worse is that even working out in the gym or regular exercise cannot reverse the harm done by sitting.
According to research, there are reasons why sitting can be connected to ill health. For example, slumping in your chair causes slows down how your body burns calories. And as your metabolism slows, your body accumulates calories and bad cholesterol— posing a heightened risk of diabetes and obesity.
However, according to said studies, individuals who stand for at least a quarter of the day reduce the risk of obesity.
Therefore, a recommended solution to the sitting epidemic is by standing more – to the point that it offsets the harmful effects of sitting. In the West, standing desks are gaining popularity. It is believed that you burn more calories and fight the effects of long hours of sitting by working while standing. Let’s look at why you might or may not consider incorporating standing desks in your office space in the Philippines.
Prevention is better than cure
There are lots of conflicting studies with regards to how standing desks may help improve health and the data we have are based on testimonials and existing research. While plenty of people swear by the health benefits of standing desks, there are some who are not fully convinced even after trying them out.
Others claim that it is the lack of movement, and not whether you are sitting or standing that leads to bad health.
Others claim that hours of standing may cause health problems as well. Some studies show that extended periods of standing may increase the risk of artery problems due to the extra load on one’s circulatory system. Also, there may be complications connected to having varicose veins.
Sometimes, productivity may be affected because not all people enjoy standing.
Perhaps you don’t need to stand all day, but should maintain a balance of sitting and standing.
Standing is merely a factor
Balance is the key— researchers are now suggesting that office workers should not just stand but walk as well for at least two hours a day. In fact, to maintain good health, studies show that you don’t need to be spend long, strenuous hours in the gym to live healthy— just don’t be stagnant.
Instead, you may opt to do low-intensity physical activity more often until it becomes a routine. At the end of the day it’s no longer about how much you ought to sit or stand, but the amount of physical activity you do. My suggestion is that from time to time, you should take a short walk or stretching break to keep your body in motion.
Standing desks only become beneficial if it encourages you to move more. In other cases, you may need to convince your boss to restructure the environment of your office space in Cebu to encourage movement.
