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My Life At a Standing Desk

The health benefits of standing up

By LeLa BeckerPublished 5 years ago 2 min read
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I recently got a standing desk, and it has changed everything for me. I have found that my productivity is higher, my cognitive capabilities are faster, and my stamina is greater. I have sat for the better portion of my life. As we all have. I am a writer, and quite literally sitting at a desk is my job. Over the years, my hips have gotten looser, and my sciatic nerve tighter. I have tried every different desk chair and at the end of the day, I feel like crying. I also suffer from what I call computer shoulder. It's when my shoulders lock-in at my ears, and I have to slowly find my way to the floor for them to relax. It is awful and I was in hell.

Recently I bought a standing desk and it has changed everything! At first, I actually didn't know how I was going to do it. I had to consciously reconfigure my body to work in the standing position. What I found was the following:

  • Because of this natural position of my fingers on the keyboard, I am able to move them faster, and with much less strain, resulting in typing faster. Thus creating more productivity.
  • I am happier because I am not in pain.
  • I have more stamina because my blood is flowing, and not cut off at the waist from sitting
  • I have more confidence, because, as studies show, standing is a power position. From my standing desk, I feel more in control of my surroundings.
  • As women, we feel like we shouldn't take up too space, but my standing desk does take up a lot of space. It is freeing and I can take up the space I deserve in this world. On a psychological level, I feel like I have more power.

Healthline recently published a study about the health benefits of a standing desk. They are....

  • Standing Lowers your risk of weight gain and obesity: Compared to a sedentary work life, an equal amount of time spent standing has been shown to burn over 1000 calories in a 40 hour workweek.
  • May lower blood sugar levels: A small study concluded that 43 percent of people that stood for 180 minutes after lunch, as compared to those that did not, had less of a blood sugar spike.
  • Lower your risk of heart disease: Prolonged sedentary time increases the risk of heart disease up to 147 percent. It is so harmful that even an hour of intense exercise may not make up for the negative effects of an entire day spent sitting
  • Reduce back and neck pain: There is a 54 percent improvement in lower back pain after several weeks of using a standing desk.
  • Improve mood and energy levels: 87 percent of people using a standing desk report increased vigor and energy throughout the day. Findings show that sitting and mental health are linked with sedentary work life. Increasing both depression and anxiety.
  • Boost Productivity: It is found that there are less typing errors, and more characters typed while standing.
  • May help you live longer: Studies have found a strong link between sitting time and early death. This link is also associated with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. In fact, 49 percent of people in a recent study showed a greater risk of dying early than those who sit the least. Reducing sitting time to three hours per day would raise the average American's life expectancy by two years.

Rise up and make a change

Health, Happiness, and Hallelujah

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About the Creator

LeLa Becker

I write about Food, Love, Yoga, and health professionally. And poetry passionately.

www.FoodLoveYogaHealth.com/blog

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