Recently, I was working with a client who mentioned that some in her office had just converted to stand-up desks. Emily Flax, (my client), not only busts out her workouts, but also runs a rocking real estate office here in town.
As they are for many of us, computers are a huge part of the workday for her and her staff. I was so impressed with her decision to swap out “regular” desks and chairs for stand-ups that I asked if I could come take pictures of her new set-up. Check out the photo below and see how the new desks look in a real-world office setting:
As you can see, the stand-up desks provide great support while eliminating the immense pressure on your back and hips that sitting creates.
Check out the article below for more hints and supporting information:
I’m pretty sure by now you’ve heard it many a time, but I’ll repeat it anyway: the word on the street (as well as in the health professions) is “ Sitting is the New Smoking”—most unhealthy! A scary thought, which is one of the reasons I was so taken by Emily’s staff and their decision to radically change things up, resulting in not sitting down during much of work day.
You’ll Undo All That Exercise
The effects of too much sitting are hard to counter by exercise alone, a sobering fact indeed. Even if you work out seven hours a week—far more than the suggested two-to-three hours—you can’t reverse the effects of sitting for the equivalent seven hours at a time. Don’t throw away all that hard work at the gym by hitting the couch for the rest of the day. Keep on moving!
Denise’s 2 Cents:
It’s often the daily habits that can really determine a person’s chance for good health and overall wellbeing. What about your habits? For starters, ask yourself these questions:
DO you drink enough water? DO you move around several times a day every day? DO you eat something nutritious before noon ?
Increased sitting time is one of those phenomena that have arisen as an unfortunate consequence of advancements in technology, which have lead to necessary amounts of screen time in the workplace. And screen time has become a big part of American life everywhere you look: in libraries, restaurants, on home computers/laptops, in offices big and small, and on smart phones.
But you’re not exactly stuck at your desk. Show some initiative! Just get up once every hour, stretch a bit, and walk around, especially if you are one of the employees who is expected to sit all day. You’ll feel better right away.
Best of all, of course, would be to persuade your boss and workmates to follow Emily’s lead and invest in stand-up desks for your office!