7 Benefits of Standing Desks and Active Workstations
It has been 45 days since Fully sent The Mission HQ two active workstations, and our team is already demanding (in a friendly way, of course) more gear! More standing desks, more Tic Toc Chairs, more, more, more!
Switching between sitting, walking, and standing at your desk is vital to your health. Moderation is key, and this is why we love our active workstations. Our desks, chairs, mats, and boards are designed to keep our bodies in their proper alignment as we work.
Before we share seven quick benefits of switching to an active workspace, we should probably define what the heck an active workstation is!
What is an active workstation?
A more active workspace = a more human workspace. It involves having desks, chairs, and other work accessories that encourage organic movement and postures.
The team at Fully is revolutionizing productivity in the workplace with their fantastic standing desks, chairs, and office accessories, and are the leader in this field when it comes to designing products that encourage healthy work practices.
What is The Mission using?
Here is our setup:
- (2) Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desks (72x30’)
- (2) HAG Capisco Chairs with Black HAG Footring and StepUp — Charcoal Eco Polyester
- (2) Topo Anti-Fatigue Mats — Standard, Black
- (2) Fully Desk Drawers
- (2) Natural Tic Toc Chairs — Black
- (2) Tic Toc Stand Balance Boards — Black
- (2) Lumen LED Desk Lamps — Black
- (2) Jarvis Laptop Arms — Black
- (2) Wire Management Kits
So, just what makes these desks and chairs so special? The Jarvis desk is easily adjustable (it’s motorized!) so you can sit or stand as much as you’d like! When you sit back in the Capisco chair, it has excellent lumbar support and allows you to sit forward, sideways, or backward. When you turn the chair around and lean forward, your spine stays aligned, almost like riding a Tron motorcycle.
Ok, maybe not quite like that but you get the idea.
The final piece of the workstation, the Lumen desk lamp, doesn’t make us more active, but it definitely makes it easier to work.
Lumen LED Desk Lamps have 35 different settings (five light temperatures, each with seven levels of brightness), which we use to avoid eye-strain and those annoying end-of-day headaches.
And the best part about the Fully gear? Everything is easy to set up and works in tandem to keep you moving all day long!
Now let’s dive into the benefits of standing desks and active workstations!
7 Benefits of Switching to an Active Workstation
1. Standing (even at a Desk Job) Lowers Your Risk of Obesity
Did you know that Americans sit for an average of 13 hours per day? And yet, according to obesity researcher James Levine, “chairs are lethal.” During his several decades of study, he found that prolonged periods of sitting slow down your metabolism and promote fat accumulation. By simply standing up intermittently while you work, you’ll instantly decrease your risk of obesity. Active workstations will keep you productive, while also keeping you in shape.
How we do it: We stand at our Jarvis desks for about an hour before switching to our chairs for half an hour. As we mentioned at the beginning, moderation is key!
Pro tip: Be sure to set the desk height at the proper ergonomic level. The means your elbows should be positioned in the shape of an “L” while typing and make sure the monitor is at eye level.
2. Spending a Few Hours Standing at Your Desk Each Day is like Running a Marathon
Sort of. Standing burns more calories than sitting — about 0.7 calories per minute, to be exact. Over the course of a year, that’s about 30,000 calories burned! According to Doctor John Buckley, that’s the equivalent of running about ten marathons in a single year… no intensive training required.
How we do it: We enjoy a little extra challenge, so this is where our Tic Toc Stand Balance Boards come in. The balance board moves with you when you shift your weight from side to side. It keeps you standing while also keeping your joints from locking up.
Toasty is still trying to figure it out though….
3. Doctors’ Orders: Sitting All Day is Ill Advised
Still not convinced that sitting at your desk all day is dangerous? Well, doctors are getting pretty serious about it. According to Drew Armstrong from Bloomburg, “Sitting in front of a computer monitor all day may soon be officially against doctors’ advice.” But never fear — Fully’s workstations are the perfect way to stay both active and productive.
How we do it: We take meetings in the conference room using the Tic Toc Chairs. This way, we stay moving during meetings where there might be long periods of sitting. Also — we record the The Story podcast in our Tic Toc Chairs!
4. Standing More Often May Increase Your Lifespan
Is increasing your lifespan really as easy as standing up? According to a study performed in 2012, the answer is a resounding: ‘Heck yes!’ Working while standing up could add 2+ years to your life. Are you as excited as we are about this active workstation thing yet?
How we do it: We may be increasing our life spans, but standing up can still become pretty tiring. That’s why we love our Topo Anti-Fatigue Mats. The mats encourage movement in the feet, which can help your body return to its natural alignment. It works with shoes, but we have to agree with Fully when they say “socks or bare feet are where it’s at.”
5. Decrease Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Stand Up and Get Moving
At this point, it won’t come as a shock that sitting all day increases your risk of cardiovascular disease. Active workstations allow you to stand up and get moving while you work. All you’re missing now are a few power anthems to get you in the mood to conquer the world.
How we do it: Take a meeting while on a walk. Although every company doesn’t have an office dog (like Toasty), you can walk and talk with co-workers for a meeting. Not only does it help with blood flow, a quarter mile stroll around the block can give you new ideas and allows both parties to get away from the computer for a few minutes.
6. Sitting Isn’t Just Bad for the Body…
…It’s also not great for your mind!
A study conducted earlier this year reported that sedentary behavior — like sitting — is associated with the thinning of brain structures that are essential for memory formation. Even worse? It was found that following up periods of sitting with physical activity did not reverse the effects. The best way to keep the mind healthy and your memory strong is to avoid long periods of sitting altogether.
How we do it: We do our work on our feet! Much of our work requires being at a desk, so we make a point to seize every opportunity to get out and about. Prime example: Enjoying beach views with the drone…
7. Standing at Your Desk Improves Your Mood and Energy Levels
Folks who use standing desks report less stress and fatigue than people who sit at their desks all day. Standing up at work is proven to increase your energy levels, which makes for a much happier day at the office. How can you beat that?
How we do it: Move desks! We use the preset settings on the Jarvis desk so that different people can switch desks at the push of a button! Obviously, we’re big fans of our active workstations, and our team loves it!
What about you?
Active workstations are great for your mind, body, and productivity! What’s some the gear that you use to make your office more human-friendly? Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below!
