Movement during your day helps you to thrive. We all want more energy right!? Are you aware that standing at work, boosts your vitality levels, and improves your mood? We generally sit for up to 70% of our day, and unfortunately, our evening gym session alone doesn’t quite counteract this effect on our body. As humans we’re not designed to be inactive for long periods, our bodies thrive with movement.
“Humans are not biologically designed to be sedentary. The more you sit, the unhealthier it is foryour body”. Elisa Terry – Program Director of the UCLA Recreation Fitwell program.
Experts have proved that our muscles need activity to stimulate our vascular systems, boost our oxygen levels and keep our metabolic rate elevated. Plus, it’s essential for our skeletal health, particularly in reducing back pain and joint problems. It keeps our whole system in good shape!
So what about being active at work? Most of us can’t even imagine another way to work than sitting down at the office, however, this is where the standup desk comes in! In a recent study, 87% of people using a standup desk reported that they felt more energised and invigorated during their day. At the completion of the 7-week trial, they returned to sitting at their desks all day, and their overall mood and energy reverted back to their original levels. Standing at work can increase your fitness, improve your posture, elevate your mood, and your overall well-being; simultaneously decreasing your risk of disease, obesity and chronic illness.
While it might seem a little daunting at first, you can incrementally begin using a standing desk, and also make small changes during your day to get active. The benefits of less stress and fatigue are worth it! Experts encourage us to reduce our sitting time to as little as 4 hours a day. When transitioning to a standup desk it’s recommended you start slowly and build up gradually over time as your body adjusts to the change. There is not a one size fits all approach as it will depend on age, fitness, physique and strength as to how long you should stand initially. As a guide, Osteopaths recommend changing your posture every 40 minutes. Always listen to your body and if you feel tired, take a break. Slowly move incrementally up from there.
Additionally, we recommend investing in a desk that’s ergonomic and adjustable to ensure it’s the correct height for you, with your computer at the correct eye level. For more tips read MOVI Workspace founder Daniel Angelini’s book, “The Sitting Epidemic”. Other ways to get moving are to encourage walking meetings, standing up and going to chat to colleagues rather than sending an email, and even initiating a team fitness class. This way you can have some buddies to help motivate you to increase your daily activity levels.
Article by Movidesks
Learn more about improving your health while you work in our eBook, ‘The Sitting Epidemic’, by the founder of MOVI, Daniel Angelini. Check out the MOVI standing desk that lets you move and stay active while you work!
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