Is it healthier to work standing than sitting: truth or myth?

Prolonged sitting and standing are equally bad for our body. Therefore, in this article, we will figure out in which position to work for the benefit of our health.

Combined work standing and sitting

If you often work at a computer, you most likely spend most of your time sitting. Our spine is not adapted for 8 hours of sitting, which creates a risk of postural disorders and is also harmful to other organs.

The harm of sedentary work can be compensated for by regular breaks. During these breaks, you can do physical exercises, eye exercises (as eyes get tired from the screen), and take short walks. However, you can also support your body and reduce the risks of prolonged sitting by working while standing.

Conference calls, reading emails, and many other work tasks can be done while standing. Changing your body position reduces the load on the spine, increases concentration, and decreases the risk of developing diseases.

Advantages of working while standing

1. Benefits for physical health

Changing your body position has a positive effect on the entire body and provides a beneficial effect on our physical health. Studies have been conducted confirming that working while standing leads to:

• reduced risk of obesity and improved digestive system (studies 1, 2, 3).
  
  
• reduced risk of developing diabetes (studies 1, 2, 3).
  
  
• reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases (studies 1, 2, 3, 4).
  
  
• reduction of back pain and maintenance of correct posture (studies 1, 2, 3).
  

2. Increased productivity

Brain activity increases when working while standing; this has also been proven by research (1, 2). Cognitive functions improve. A change in posture brings variety to work. It becomes easier to cope with routine, and complex tasks can be looked at "from a different angle".

3. Psychological relief

Sitting in one position for a long time is not ergonomic; the human body is simply not adapted to it. If the body is uncomfortable, psychological tension and irritability arise. This, of course, affects the work result. Working sitting and standing reduces fatigue and stress (studies 1, 2, 3).

4. Growth of creative potential

When a person changes their body position, they activate different parts of the brain. This leads to the emergence of new ideas. Any changes, including body position, reduce monotony. And less routine means more creativity.

5. Increased life expectancy

Recent studies (1, 2) have found a close link between increased sitting time and early death. This is not surprising, given the close link between a sedentary lifestyle, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

How to ensure frequent changes between standing/sitting positions

To change positions more often while working at a computer or desk, you can equip yourself with two work zones: a sitting one and a standing one. It's even easier to get an adjustable-height desk and set a comfortable height or purchase a modular desk. Today, you can find a wide variety of solutions on the market for organizing standing work.

A great solution would be a functional desk with height adjustment. Such a desk will allow you not only to alternate between standing and sitting work but also to set the correct tabletop height, taking into account your individual parameters: monitor height relative to your eyes, comfortable tabletop height for the correct position of your arms and legs, etc.

Checklist: how to organize a comfortable and effective workspace at home

To maintain productivity while working remotely, you should create a small home office for yourself. We have collected basic tips for organizing a comfortable and effective workspace:

1.Dedicate a space for work

This will give you the feeling that you are "going to work." There will be much less temptation to get distracted and switch to household chores.

2. Keep the air fresh

The higher the air quality, the easier it is to think and analyze information. Ventilate the room where you work more often. It is recommended to open the windows for 10-15 minutes every hour in the summer and 3-4 times for 5 minutes in the winter. Don't forget to regularly remove dust; this also affects air quality.

3. Diversify the space

Decorate the space around you to your taste — it could be posters, pictures, postcards, photos, and so on. Satisfaction with the workspace is directly related to productivity. It's always a good idea to add a plant to your field of vision. The sight of green helps to cope with stress and improves mood. According to the results of the study, decorating an office with plants increased employee productivity by 15%.

4. Adjust the lighting

The best option is natural sunlight. If it is not possible to get sunlight throughout the day, use lamps that simulate daylight.

5. Ensure silence or a comfortable sound background

Turn off all sounds or turn on music for concentration or unobtrusive background noise, such as nature sounds.

6. Get rid of distractions

One of the key tips for combating procrastination is to remove everything that distracts from the task. Remove extra gadgets and snacks from your workspace, and close unnecessary tabs in your browser. If you don't need your smartphone for work, let it stay in another room. It has been proven that the mere presence of a phone in the same room with a person reduces cognitive abilities.