We live in an age of “wellness.” This trend has come to permeate nearly all aspects of our lives, particularly the workplace. In this way, many large corporations, eager to demonstrate their altruistic zeal, have made great efforts to ensure the well-being of their employees. The promotion of “active workstations”, such as standing desks and treadmills, is one of the many ways in which companies have sought to incorporate this into working life. However, whilst such efforts may on the surface appear to demonstrate employers’ commitment to the welfare of their workers, concerns have been raised about the true efficacy of these measures.
In research undertaken by a team of Finnish scientists from the University of Jyvaskyla, it was found that there is little evidence to suggest that standing workstations offer any notable benefits to workers’ health. Their findings were published earlier this year in the International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations (IJNVO). Manufacturers promise that they lead to overall improved physical health, posture, and counteract mental stress. The researchers focused their investigations on workers in the software industry, where large periods of time are spent sitting sedentary at a desk. They assessed employers using a questionnaire and a test called the Firstbeat Lifestyle Assessment service. The team looked at physical activity, mental alertness, stress, and musculoskeletal stress in their study.
Their results showed that active workstations lead to “only modest promotions of physical activity.” In fact, the stress-recovery balance is often tipped more towards stress, it was found. Moreover, employees did not report any increase in work posture comfort using the standing workstations and there was no overall effect upon workplace satisfaction. Figures showed that any physical improvements were negligible; heart rate increased by 4.2 beats per minute on average which equates to an extra 6.1 kilocalories burned per hour and a very slight reduction in upper body tension. In fact, these minute improvements were essentially canceled out by the fact that standing for long periods increases the risk of developing varicose veins and potentially lower-back problems.
These findings are perhaps all too predictable and not only if you are a cynical commentator. We are constantly under bombardment from companies and manufacturers trying to win us over with products and initiatives that promise to offer us significant health benefits. Much of this turns out to be more marketing hype than anything else.
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2 replies on “Taking a stand against standing desks”
Seriously?? One cannot stand and sit at the same time. So, are you ready for this insight?…when you stand you are limiting and interrupting prolonged sitting, which has been proven through numerous studies to be harmful. Nobody, but nobody who knows anything about this recommends standing for hours on end as a valid response to sitting for hours on end. Rotate your sitting and standing (which requires a standing desk or option) as often as you feel the need; every 30 minutes or more or less, if and when you feel up to it, and your body is ready. Balance and moderation in all things. Listen to your body and not two-dimensional articles like this.
Excellent rebuttal Daniel! Everything in moderation, altering your positions and taking frequent breaks have time and again proven to be helpful in reducing the risk of soft-tissue injuries and mental fatigue.