Ergonomic standing desks are becoming more common in the workplace. Studies suggest they can help reduce health risks like cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Some people are even saying “sitting is the new smoking.” If you want to move around more during the workday, consider one of the affordable standing desks that you can buy online.
James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic, says, “The default has become to sit. We need the default to be standing.” He and other scientists note that most people sit all day, with very short walks to the restroom, to the break room, or to the parking lot. And evidence suggests that brief exercise won’t counteract the negative effects of hours of sitting.
You can find a variety of cheap height adjustable desk options online. Standing desks are one way to incorporate more movement into the day. Here are five benefits of using a standing desk:
- Reduced risk of obesity. People who stand more walk around more. And people who walk around more burn more calories.
- Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Sitting all day seems to be related to reducing the body’s effectiveness in regulating blood sugar known as metabolic syndrome, a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
- Reduced risk of heart disease. A recent Kaiser Permanente study suggested that men who spent at least five hours a day sitting had twice the risk of heart failure when compared to those who sit less than two hours a day and exercise often.
- Reduced risk of cancer. Some studies have suggested that extended sitting may be linked to certain cancers, particularly breast and colon cancer.
- Lower early mortality risk. A 2012 study found that when people reduced their sitting time to only two or three hours a day, their life expectancy increased.