For those of us who are office based, we should know by now the perils of sitting incorrectly at our desk. We’ve probably all watched the videos, read the manuals and undertaken many Health and Safety reviews. However, there is an alternative option to sitting down all day at your desk… and that’s adjustable stand up desks. But is the UK office worker ready to consider not sitting at a desk? Read on to find out more…

It’s no surprise that sitting down all day is not particularly good for your health. Research has linked this to poor metabolism, heart disease, high blood pressure and can have a negative impact on your brain. In a recent Daily Mail article, ‘office bum’ and ‘tech neck’ were used to describe some of the impacts sitting at your desk for eight hours a day can have.

The adjustable desk, on the other hand, provides the option to both sit and stand and raises the entire workstation including the computer and phone. Its aim is to help improve your posture, raise productivity, aid concentration and move around more during the day.

But is standing up at work all it’s cracked up to be? In a recent study published in the Journal of Ergonomics, it suggests the prolonged use of standing desks have been linked to lower limb discomfort and deteriorating mental reactiveness. In fact, researchers at Curtin University in Australia observed 20 participants working at standing desks for two hours.

They discovered that participants discomfort “significantly” increased for the lower back region, and mental reactiveness also slowed down after roughly an hour and a quarter, however it did show that “creative” decision making marginally improved.

Yet, it seems to be a potential alternative to sitting down all day which is also bad for our health. Edinburgh University published a report in 2018, which highlighted that some office workers, in-particular middle-aged men, “spend more time sitting down that pensioners, with large parts of the population described as dangerously sedentary.” It builds on research showing that a third of Britons are putting themselves at risk of an early grave because of their lack of exercise.

In a recent article in the Telegraph, Professor Taylor, a physiotherapy expert at Nottingham University, said: “While future evidence may emerge suggesting some benefits of standing desks, office workers should not ignore current advice to go for regular walks at work just because they are standing rather than sitting.” He believes office workers should: “Get up, go and make a cup of tea or coffee – don’t just stand there.”

Speaking about the trends towards adopting adjustable desks, Gary Trudgett, Head of Marketing at Spaceway said: “There’s clearly a case for both methods of working, sitting down all day is obviously not great for your health, yet it would appear that standing up for an equal amount of time could also be detrimental. The beauty of an adjustable desk however, is that it does exactly what it says on the tin, it adjusts. Perhaps its more about finding the balance between sitting and standing and having the opportunity to do both, whilst taking frequent exercise breaks. We shall see if this feverish trend takes off.”

To find out more about how the design experts here at Spaceway could help double your office workspace and show you what innovations or options are available, please call our friendly team on 0800 0851022