The advantages of standing tables in the office

Daily work in the office is usually performed while sitting. In the meantime, however, it has been scientifically proven that excessive sitting is in no way beneficial to health.

For this reason, researchers have been investigating for some time whether standing desks could provide a solution to this health problem. If the office is equipped with these, the health-damaging, much too long sitting periods of the office workers can finally be effectively shortened. Not only their work performance improves, but also their personal well-being – this can be read in a corresponding report in the British Medical Journal.

However, there is still no consensus on whether there are also specific benefits from standing for longer periods of time. The question of how office workers can actually benefit from a standing desk is explored in the following article.

Sitting for long periods: Cancer, heart disease and diabetes

A large number of past studies have already proven that health suffers massively from sitting for too long. It significantly increases the risk of developing many different diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and even some types of cancer. However, on average, office workers spend between 75 and 80 percent of their time in a sedentary position.

Recently, a team of scientists from the United Kingdom investigated the extent to which standing desks in offices – including a motivational, accompanying program – can lead to less time spent sitting.

Study result: Increased engagement and reduced sitting time

Participants in the study were thus provided with appropriate desks with a height-adjustability function, and were also educated about the negative health consequences risked by prolonged sitting.

The result of the study proves that the time spent per day sitting in the office can be reduced by more than 60 minutes per day by using the available standing desks. Particularly at the beginning of the introduction of the new desks, employees traded their sitting position for the standing position. However, over time, the time spent standing decreased a little.

The questionnaires filled out by the study participants on the subject also allowed conclusions to be drawn that the standing desks lead to greater professional commitment and improved work performance. For example, many employees felt less exhausted and also noticed improvements in their back problems.

Nevertheless, despite this encouraging result, it should not be ignored that the study participants still basically spent more time sitting than standing. Thus, the risk to health from sitting too long cannot yet be completely eliminated. In addition, there were no major changes in the general activity level of the participants.

Significantly increased productivity through standing desks?

However, a study from the USA came to a similar conclusion back in 2016. Study participants whose conventional desks were replaced with standing desks were able to significantly increase their general well-being and also significantly improve their productivity – by an impressive 46 percent compared to their colleagues at normal desks.

Baua, the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, also recommends equipping offices with standing desks. This would prevent the development of back pain, for example, which has become a widespread disease.