The modern workplace is a minefield of treacherous moral dilemmas. What kind of water bottle do you use? Tea or coffee? Whose lunch should I steal today? But no ethical conundrum causes more harm in the office than the eternal battle of Sitting Desks Vs. Standing Desks.
We’ve all heard the arguments before. Everyone knows sitting down for all day is obviously not healthy, but is a standing desk really that much healthier? And more importantly, is looking like a tool really worth the added years to your life?
Fortunately, host of Coronacast Dr Norman Swan appeared on ABC Radio National today to settle the debate once and for all, and it turns out that standing desks aren’t the clear winner they’ve been thought to be. I’m on the edge of my seat. #TeamSit4Life
When talking about a recent study on the adverse health effects of long hours sitting down, Dr Swan admitted the evidence confirmed lots of what we already knew about sitting. “You develop what’s called insulin resistance… that increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.”
Swan went on to demolish any chances of guiltlessly standing with #TeamSit, saying: “Your arteries don’t work as well, the muscle fibres in your body don’t work as well, and you put on visceral fat around your abdomen.”
According to Swan the research did say that sitting at your desk is healthier than sitting in front of a TV, but only because of the increased likelihood of snacking. Which is totally accurate Dr, I love a TV snack.
So it’s not looking good for seated desks, but what did the research have to say about the uppity standing desk?
Well, apparently it’s not a clear-cut winner either. Swan makes a point to highlight, “if all you’re going to do all day is stand still at your desk rather than sit still, it’s a bit better for you but not a lot better.”
Though standing gives the body more metabolic stress than sitting, idle standing all day has practically no increased health benefits. In fact idle standing leads to walking away from your desk, which sure is healthier, but try telling that to your boss when your productivity hits the floor.
What has been shown to most effectively counteract the negative effects of sitting is regular exercise. Swan points out that doing as little as 45 minutes a day a few times a week can alleviate most of the problems caused by sitting all day in the office.
So now you know all you need to know for next time you catch the judgemental eyes of StandyDesk McHealthNut watching you sit all day. They’re no better than you. You just need to promise to go for a run after this. #TeamSit4Life
