Considering a portable standing desk for your office or home? While comfort may be a top priority, it's essential to know the benefits of standing during your workday.
Extensive sitting and poor posture have been widely recognised as health hazards, as supported by recent studies in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Surprisingly, exercise alone cannot offset these risks. Don't simply assume that hitting the gym after work will counteract the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting.
If you want to optimise your health and productivity, it may be time to explore the convenience of a portable standing desk.
A standing desk is a versatile workstation that enables users to work while standing rather than sitting.
These desks provide the freedom to work in various environments and are ideal for workers suffering from aches and pains due to sitting for eight hours or more. Some standing desks are portable in the sense that they can be carried from place to place. Other standing desks are portable, or at least movable, by attaching a product like castor wheels to the base of the standing desk frame.
Ability to move a desk with castors within a room or even between rooms can be an advantage if you need to vary where you are using the desk.
Poor posture can result in spinal dysfunction, chronic back pain and weakening or strain of the posterior muscles, resulting in tension headaches or, worse, abnormal curvature of the spine.
A standing desk set at the correct height can improve posture — strengthening the neck, back and leg muscles.
Poor posture also hurts lung capacity, reducing the amount of oxygen available for the heart and brain.
Standing not only increases blood flow and encourages movement but also allows for better breathing, improving oxygen delivery to the heart.
Slouching puts pressure on the stomach and can cause heartburn by forcing stomach acid back up the oesophagus. Lengthy sitting may also decrease bowel motility, leading to constipation.
When we stand, the diaphragm has space to move effectively and abdominal muscles are strengthened.
A standing work desk can encourage movement, which improves metabolism and digestion.
Long periods of sitting decrease blood flow and oxygen intake, leading to drowsiness and lethargy.
Standing using a standing desk can improve long-term cognitive function, alertness and increased productivity.