The debate that has been raging for some time now surrounds whether you should be sitting or standing in the workplace. There are a lot of things you need to think about when it comes to your work posture, and there are plenty of positives and negatives that you could come up with for both. But, what does the science say? Is one of them definitively better than the other, and which should you be doing?
You want to be doing as much as possible to improve the working day and enhance your productivity as much as possible. So, this means that you have to think about the different options you have for making your working day a more pleasant experience. Should you work sitting or standing? This is the big question and one that we will attempt to answer below.
Sitting
We’ve been sitting for years with no problems, right? Well, yes and no. It’s true that people can be just as productive sitting as they can standing. In fact, because sitting is often more comfortable and relaxing, people often do their best work when sitting down. Despite this, it is also believed that those who sit for longer periods might also begin to experience health problems in the future.
Sitting can also be beneficial on the joints and helps to give the body a rest, especially if you have spent a lot of time on your feet in other areas of your working life. Standing might feel unnatural to you, and it’s about adopting the position that you feel works best for you at work. You need to be as productive as possible, and this means taking the appropriate action to get this right as soon as possible.
Standing
Standing is widely regarded as the preferable choice, especially because of the health benefits that are related to it. If you can stand more during the working day, you will burn more calories and reduce the risk of weight gain. You can be more active when you’re on your feet, and this helps with regards to developing your brain and body as much as possible. This can also reduce the risk of things like heart disease and strokes in later life.
Additionally, standing can help to reduce mortality and cancer rates at the same time. As well as health benefits, you might also feel like you are more alert and productive when you are standing as opposed to sitting, and this is really important for your work. Mobility is a big thing at work, and too many people experience back problems over the course of their working lives. However, this is something that standing at work can really help combat as much as possible.
Overall, science questions both claims, but the evidence seems to suggest that there are more benefits to standing for long periods of time than sitting. Of course, it entirely depends on what works for you, and you have to come up with ideas that can help you improve your posture, and get the most out of your working day. This means you could come up with a combination of sitting one day and standing the next (if you have an adjustable desk). You might also consider sitting down but making sure you get up every 25 minutes and walk around the room. This is important for making sure you are keeping active.
