In the past few years, standing desks have become the standard for a healthier work environment. Whether you get a tall table that you adapt to a standing desk, or you get an adjustable desk that sits or stands, or you just stack a bunch of books on your desk and put your laptop on it (not advised), having a standing desk makes you both healthy and hip.
Right?
A new study shows that even though sitting all day is definitely terrible for your health, standing may not be all that great either.
New studies say that standing for long periods of time, even just five hours, can take a pretty rough toll on your body. Maria Gabriela Garcia, one of the researchers of the study, said that “The work related musculoskeletal implications that can be caused by prolonged standing are a burden not only for workers but also for companies and society. Long-term muscle fatigue caused by standing for long periods of time has not received much attention.”
The study looked at people for whom their job included standing for over 75% of their work day. They found both short term effects, such as leg fatigue, backaches, and muscle cramps, and long-term effects, which were slightly more serious. Long-term fatigue was found to be developing across all ages—those in the 18-30 age range were just as likely to develop fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders as over 50s.
While sitting is still awful for you over long periods, standing has its own dangers too.
Try to even out your time standing and sitting during the day. If you feel like your legs are getting fatigued, sit down to work for a little while. In moderation, it won’t kill you.
What do you think of the standing desk fad? Good or bad?
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