The idea that you should use a “standing desk” has been on the periphery of office designs for some time, but it hasn’t really caught on in a general sense. Proponents swear by them, and sceptics suggest they will ruin your back, give you bad posture and make you more tired, quicker. It was therefore illuminating to find the article below, which tries to analyze the benefits and drawbacks of using a “standing desk”. I still haven’t managed to convince myself that it is a good idea but, I thought that after reading this article, I might be tempted to try…maybe!
“The human body evolved to forage and hunt on the African savannahs, not to sit in a cubicle all day. The risks associated with sitting – from increased blood-sugar levels to greater odds of dying from cancer – lead many health authorities to warn against spending too much time doing so. The sit-to-stand desk is a popular way of helping people get upright, but how effective is it?
Several arguments are made in its favor. As standing makes the heart work harder, proponents say it improves cardiovascular health, enhances attention and reduces fatigue. Physiotherapists claim that standing also improves posture, reducing lower back pain. Some studies even suggest that standing workers report lower stress and greater happiness than sitters do.
A recent review selected 17 studies for examination that mainly related to university students – I assume that this selection of university students was a result of easy access to them but, also, they tend to be younger and fitter so the negative results would be less apparent.
The results showed that there was a significant improvement in lowering stress levels and in “mood”. However, only one study revealed significant pain reduction in sit/stand users compared with control groups. Further, the studies did show some reduction in blood pressure levels among proponents of sit/stand desks.
Other studies conducted on more varied groups showed little consistency in their results. A review of 50 papers on sit/stand desks showed only weak evidence that their use improves cardiovascular health. Other health-related markers, such as glucose, insulin and cholesterol levels, showed no significant difference compared to control groups. Even “mood” results showed no significant difference. The one area where some evidence appears to exist that supports the use of sit/stand desks is lower back pain. However, the researchers noted that such relief was more apparent in older people than in younger ones. I think I could have told them that without conducting a study!!
The sub-title of the article I read in the Economist said, “The benefits are real, but seem to vary with age.”
Needless to say, I was disappointed when I finished reading this article, since it gave me no help at all in deciding whether I should use a sit/stand desk. Probably, the cost of such an acquisition will be my determining factor in whether I try it out…or not. Still, I should be grateful to the author of the article for giving me a succinct analysis of the multiple studies I would have had to wade through if I had ever seriously considered buying a sit/stand desk. The article provided a simple resolution. No, I would not!
On reflection, I think the main contribution that reading this article and acknowledging the many hours and multiple thousands of dollars and pounds sterling that have been spent of the studies that the article reported, is to provide me with a significant contribution to my blog category of “Golden Fleece” awards; that is, research projects that waste an enormous amount of financial and human resources with no tangible results.
