With the release of a number of research results pointing out health problems caused by sitting and working for a long time, it is the standing desk that designers put out as an ergonomic desk.
However, researchers at Curtin University in Australia observed 20 participants who worked at the standing desk for two hours and found that their lower back and legs were strained. This is in line with past studies that show that working at a standing desk can cause veins to expand and be harmful to heart health.
In addition, working at the standing desk for an hour and 15 minutes slowed down the intellectual response. However, creative decision-making skills have improved slightly. The researchers concluded that standing desks do more harm than health gains.
The results of the study were published in the journal Ergonomics.
Alan Taylor, a physical therapy expert at the University of Nottingham in the UK, pointed out that standing desks are popular not because of scientific evidence but because of commercial marketing. He advised that while research could be published to reveal the advantages of standing desks in the future, office workers should use other ways to solve the problems of sitting and working long hours. Taylor advised that it would be better to sit down and get up and walk a little, make coffee or tea, or take regular walks rather than stand all the way.
Linda Miller, an ergonomic professor at the University of Alberta in Canada, also pointed out that standing in a small space inside an office partition can only make you feel tired and not exercise. Professor Miller pointed out that working standing does not improve overall health, including the heart, and that it still does not correct posture because it keeps the shoulders bent when working standing, just as it does when sitting down. He also advised that working in a chair with a design that helps correct posture is better than working long hours at a standing desk.
On the other hand, a study has shown that instead of sitting for six hours in the European Journal of Cardiology, you can lose weight just by standing. According to an analysis of 46 studies conducted by the research team on a total of 1,184 participants with an average age of 33, it took 54 calories just to stand for six hours. It took 0.15 calories per minute.
Writer: James Ko
(Picture form Unsplash)
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