The benefits of using a standing desk have been widely documented. Not only in various research studies that measured specific benefits, but standing desk users have noticed benefits ranging from increased productivity to less neck pain, to even being more alert.
Sitting Is Shortening your Life
Most people would typically sit at their desks in a regular chair for 7-8 hours, and then probably sit even longer when they get home in front of the TV or at a dinner table. Studies have said that “Sitting is Shortening your Life” and that is a scary thought indeed, especially when you learn how sitting affects far more than the bottom you are sitting on but also the increased chance fo diabetes, obesity, heart disease, muscular issues, depression, and more. (Feel like standing up yet?)
Reasons for a Standing Desk
There are dozens of indications that you need a standing desk, and standing desks are becoming commonplace by people in many different professions and industries. But one question we hear often is “How long should I stand to maximize the benefits of standing?” Or “Is it better to stand for a long duration at one time, or to split up the day in small bits of sitting and standing?”
“How long should I stand to maximize the benefits of standing?”
“Is it better to stand for a long duration at one time, or to split up the day in small bits of sitting and standing?”
Daily Standing Desk Usage – How Much is Enough?
There has been some research done on how long you should stand at your standing desk during the day. Common advice about the sitting to standing ratio has been that you should:
- Stand for 60% of the time
- Sit for 40% of the time
How Much Should I Stand per Hour?
- A University of Waterloo professor of Kinesiology found that the ideal sit-stand ratio is between 1:1 and 1:3. He says that for an eight-hour workday, the highest ratio works out to standing 45 minutes every hour.
- Other experts have said to start by standing at least two hours per day and work your way up to four.
- Informal suggestions from Gavin Bradley, director of Active Working, an international group aimed at reducing excessive sitting that, along with Public Health England, are to keep moving. He reminds himself via notification to change posture every 20 to 30 minutes.
When you first get a standing desk, the goal is to start using it little by little, as your body adjusts. You will notice that you will feel more fatigued when you first start standing and that is normal. Just like running a marathon, using a standing desk is no do in a day, you will need to work your body up to it and see what works for you.
How is your sit/stand ratio doing so far today?
Give HealthPostures a call at 800-277-1841 or contact us here if you are ready to improve your workday and your health. We have several different options for home offices, corporate settings, and even medical offices. The Stance Angle Chair transforms how we think about sitting and products like the Clever Electric Lift Legs can turn any work surface into an adjustable desktop.
