Standing up at your desk !

A growing number of employees at companies like Google are tossing aside their chair and asking to work while standing. Prolonged sitting causes damages. Indeed, studies have claimed major health benefits for standing for much of the day as opposed to sitting.

Standing while you are working is a practice with a long tradition : Winston Churchill wrote while working at a special standing desk, as did Ernest Hemingway and Benjamin Franklin.

Now, Standing desks are on the rise particularly in Silicon Valley !

Prolonged sitting has not only been linked to problems with blood glucose control, but also a sharp reduction in the activity of an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase, which breaks down blood fats and makes them available as a fuel to the muscles. This reduction in enzyme activity leads to raised levels of triglycerides and fats in the blood, increasing the risk of heart disease.
When we are sitting, we reduce the body’s movements however exercising regularly is not enough !

The slowing down of blood flowe on the backside and muscles increase feelinsg of tiredness in the back, shoulder and neck. The compressive force on the spinal discs and vertebrae in the back alter their irrigation and destroy them.

 Some companies provide now  motorized sit/stand workstations.The stand-up desk has a raised surface that is the proper height for a person to stand and type. . For example, in Denmark, 95 % of the employees have a desk with variable height : the electrical height adjustment ( it is very quiet from sitting to standing) can make  heights vary of about 65 cm.

Though it looks uncomfortable to stand all day, it may provide a healthy alternative to sitting which is thought to cause obesity, blood clots and premature death. The researchers believe that even small adjustments, like standing while talking on the phone, going over to talk to a colleague rather than sending an email, or simply taking the stairs, will help.