Office work is usually sedentary work. That prolonged Sitting is unhealthy, is considered to be safe. Researchers have examined whether standing desks can be a helpful Alternative.
Standing desks in the office, reduce the daily and often unhealthy long periods of time Sitting of workers. This in turn improves their performance and increases your well-being, researchers report in the British Medical Journal. Whether the increased Are also health benefits, however, it is unclear how an expert in a comment to the investigation stressed.
Diabetes, heart diseases or cancer diseases
Numerous studies in the past have shown that prolonged Sitting is unhealthy and the risk for different diseases increases, including Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, Diabetes, arterioskle roses, or even some cancers. Office workers count nature of the occupational groups with the longest periods of time Sitting: you will spend approximately 75 to 80 percent of their time sitting.
A Team led by Charlotte Edwardson from the University of Leicester (UK) was now investigating whether, with the help of stand-up tables and a motivating companion program, the sitting times are shorter. They found 77 office workers, height-adjustable desks available. In addition, the subjects were given information about the health consequences of prolonged Sitting, were regularly encouraged to get up and have received Feedback about your Seating behavior.
A small, waist-worn device recorded for a few days at the start and after three, six and twelve months, the physical activity of the participants. This question also filled in questionnaires on their state of health, their levels of job satisfaction, or commitment. 69 workers constituted the control group.
Seat time will be significantly decreased, Engagement increased
The evaluation showed that the Japanese program had reduced the total daily sitting time of workers more than an hour of the day. While she was at the beginning of the study, still at 9.7 hours a day, she was dropped after three months is already a good 50 minutes. After one year, the participants had a total of one hour and 22 minutes a day less sitting. This time she had spent standing.
In the questionnaires, the researchers also found evidence that job performance and professional commitment of the participants had improved in comparison to the control group. They would have felt less exhausted and about less pain in the lower back reported.
However, writes Cindy Gray from the University of Glasgow in a comment, would have sat the subjects at the end of the study still longer than the six to eight hours, which would be associated with an increased health risk. In addition, the activity of the participants have not really changed: they hadn’t moved, just stood instead of sitting. If the health is beneficial, is unclear. It was also questionable whether the right time-consuming program can be cost-effective to implement.
46% more productive: standing desks increase productivity significantly
Similar benefits of stand-up tables, already in 2016, a study from Texas. There, researchers had accompanied for six months, a total of 167 employees of a call center. Half of them were equipped with height-adjustable desks. At the end of the study showed that these employees felt physically more comfortable, but a full 46 percent more productive than their counterparts in the control group, which had no stand-up tables.
Back complaints as a result of office work are preventable
The Federal Institute for occupational safety and health (Baua) in a guide to well-being in the office for the use of standing tables. She writes: back pain as a result of office work are preventable, and does not speak to tables for this purpose only for the use of stand-up, but also of ergonomic office lighting and adjustable inclination for the screen from the chairs. The most important dynamic Sitting be – so the exchange between different sitting postures. Thus, the intervertebral discs were supplied, the fatigue of muscles is reduced, and even the circulation is stimulated.