A Standing desk is an amazing tool to improve health, while also doing work or watching movies, videos etc. It is very efficient since you can do two things at once. Science has proved that sitting has many negative side effects to health. Standing desks could help reduce the time we spend sitting in our daily lives and make us healthier. First, we should discuss why sitting is bad and why.
Biggest Negative Effects Come When Sitting for a Long Time at Once
Inherently sitting is not bad when done in short periods, but when you are in the same position for most of the day, for years, it simply cannot be healthy. Chairs were first invented by Egyptians in 2680 B.C., so chairs have been in existence for a long time. The real negative side effects of sitting came up just in the past few hundred years, when everything became more industrialized. Now we are forced to sit everywhere – at work, school, while driving. And most people choose to sit when they have a choice at their homes, while watching television, eating, being on the computer. When you have a choice, you should pick the better option, in this case it’s getting a standing desk.
Negative Effects of Sitting
- Anterior Pelvic Tilt
The most common side effect of sitting is anterior pelvic tilt, this is when your gut and butt stick out. While sitting you are at a 90 degrees’ angle with your torso and legs, this means that your front pelvic muscle is getting shorter because it’s not being used. This results in tightness in the hips. Anterior pelvic tilt is also caused by weak ab and glute muscles, which can also be attributed to sitting.
- Lower Back Pain
A symptom of anterior pelvic tilt, it forces the gut to protrude and the lower back to tilt. The spine ends up in an unnatural position and starts to damage the nerves, which causes the pain. If left untreated for a long time, it could develop into a bigger problem.
- Harder to Breathe
When sitting down you make your stomach bend, which makes your lung capacity smaller. You get less air, than when standing. Less oxygen means less energy. This could be the reason why you feel tired.
Positive Effects of Standing Desks
- Better posture
Extended periods of sitting changes your posture, so that means standing can change your posture as well. The difference is that standing is a more natural position and it will eventually improve posture.
- More Energetic and Productive
There are two reasons:
- You get more oxygen when breathing.
- Standing serves as a form of exercise, exercise keeps the blood pumping and makes you more alert and energetic.
- Weight Loss
As mentioned previously, standing is more physically draining than sitting. When standing you are working out your legs, primarily glutes, calves and hamstrings. Also, you slightly work the abdominal muscles. Since you exercise a big muscle group, you will burn a good amount of calories. The average person burns about 100 calories per hour when standing.
What Standing Desk Should You Buy
This is quite a drastic lifestyle change and you will struggle to stand for prolonged periods at first. That’s why I recommend getting an adjustable standing desk. The desk I am talking about acts and looks like a normal desk, the only difference is that its height can be adjusted. I would recommend getting a mechanically adjustabledesk, rather than by electricity. Simply because it’s cheaper and there’s less hassle with the electric cords. Check out the one I recommend.(Click on image)
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