If you’re thinking about investing in a standing desk, then you are probably already aware that our bodies are not designed to sit still for long periods of time, even if you have found the perfect ergonomic chair. However, standing desks are expensive so it’s only natural to question how useful one might actually be for you.
Let’s consider a common office scenario … you have a sedentary job and could easily spend all day sitting at your desk. You become really engrossed in your work and before you know it, several hours have gone past and the only parts of you that have moved are your fingers on the keyboard and the one arm you use to control your mouse. At the end of a full day of work you’re likely to feel stiff and achy, you might have some upper or lower back pain and you’re probably feeling tired and sluggish. Sound familiar?
Increasing the amount you move during your working day will lubricate your joints, prevent muscles becoming short and tight, boost your circulation and metabolism and improve energy levels. Standing desks are a way to achieve this without disturbing your workflow and for many people with back pain, standing at a desk often improves posture and activates your core and buttock muscles, which support your back.
Standing desks also give you more freedom to move easily. You can march on the spot or stretch and bend more freely and all of this extra movement adds up to a big difference in how you’ll feel by the end of your working day.
That said, I wouldn’t recommend simply standing for eight hours a day either. Alternating between sitting and standing gives the best of both worlds and it’s worth bearing in mind that initially you will have to build up your body’s endurance for working while standing. Start off by standing for 15-20 minutes then sit back down for 40 minutes. As you get accustomed to this, you can gradually increase the length of time standing and reduce the length of time sitting.
Investing in remedial massage on a monthly basis will also significantly help to relieve aches and pains, reduce stress and anxiety and improve the physical condition of your muscles. You can also try our seated stretching programme for another great way to increase the amount of movement in your working day:
If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch,
The Cambridge Massage Therapy Team