Having a standing workstation reduces the time spent sitting each day. This would reduce stress and improve productivity.
- There are three levels of sedentariness: low (less than 3 hours per day), moderate (3 to 7 hours per day), and high (more than 7 hours per day).
- This is the largest study of programs aimed at reducing sedentary behavior in the workplace.
No more sitting desks, make way for standing desks! To be more efficient and in better shape, it would be necessary to abandon the chair on casters, and to favor standing work. Researchers from the universities of Leicester and Loughborough in England demonstrate this in a study published in The British Medical Journal.
Different protocols tested
The team has developed a program called “SMART Work and Life“, resources and applications to monitor time spent sitting. They tested it with 756 people who spend a large part of their day sitting. They were then divided into three groups. The first group followed only the program , the second did the same and used a height-adjustable desk so they could work standing or sitting, and the third group was a control, they did not follow the program or receive the adjustable desk.
To observe the effects of these measures, the researchers equipped the participants with a device to be worn on the thigh. They found that compared to the control group, people using the program alone sat 22 minutes less per day. For participants using both the program and having a height-adjustable desk, it tripled: they spent an hour more on their feet on average in their work day. On the other hand, it had no impact on the time spent sitting at home.
Less stress
For Dr. Charlotte Edwardson, lead author of the scientific article, these results show that a “combination of information, motivational resources, peer support and standing desks has the greatest effect on reducing sitting in the workplace”. But staying up longer had other positive health effects for participants. Dr Alex Clarke-Cornwell, co-author of the study, notes that “alongside the reduction in sitting time, participants experienced small improvements in stress, well-being and they also reported feeling more energized, focused and productive, the group that also received the adjustable desk reported less musculoskeletal issues -skeletal.”
Work, a sedentary place
According to the researchers’ data, people working in offices spend around 70% of their working day sitting, and many of them also often sit at home. In total, office workers sit between 9 and 10 hours a day. The Covid-19 pandemic would have increased these behaviors, which are dangerous to health. According to Dr. Charlotte Edwardson, these results show that there are suitable and effective tools to limit the time spent sitting at work, and therefore the sedentary lifestyle. According to‘World Health Organizationit represents the “fourth leading cause of premature death worldwide”. The longer the time spent sitting, the higher the health risks: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, cancers, etc.
