Standing is Trending
Where some organisations are adopting more agile working environments, many are also recognising the need for Electric Height Adjustable (EHA) workstations rather than tying employees to working at neatly aligned fixed height desks.
In recent years, there has been significant research into the effects sitting is having on our health whilst exploring the benefits of standing instead. We are all aware that constant sitting may be unwise for the human form, and since our heartbeat increases by standing up, we also take more oxygen in. Sitting every day for prolonged periods, however, may also give increased risks to developing diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
Read the article: UK Study Finds Significant Health Benefits Associated with Standing
In fact, more offices have gained ambitions for more flexible and smarter working approaches, and we are seeing an increased demand for electric height adjustable desking.
Such desks allow users with computer-intensive jobs to easily raise or lower the worktop and thus keyboard and monitor, so it’s possible to work while either sitting or standing! As an Ergonomic Product Dealer, we recommend changing your working position regularly since it can help to reduce back problems. If you have an existing back issue, then standing at a higher desk for parts of your working day, rather than sitting all day at a ‘standard’ desk, can offer comfort and relief and may help the recovery process. People of various height can easily adjust their desk according to their own specific needs, which is particularly beneficial for those of a taller (or shorter) stature; it can also be very useful for wheelchair users and when sitting all day is not an option, including perhaps those individuals returning to work after recent surgery.
The demand for EHA desks still currently seems to be more on an individual need basis, rather than totally implementing the change throughout the whole workplace. However, even though costs vary depending on design, their price has reduced significantly in recent years.
Understandably implementing such ‘total’ change is a challenging step that may involve not only varying the office layout design, but also organisational and departmental processes and routines too? Managers may however wish to consider research that suggests that standing not only improves individual’s health but also their enthusiasm, creativity and indeed productivity at work!
Interesting link: Could offices change from sitting to standing? – BBC Magazine