Standing desks have become quite trendy and widespread in recent years, you might even have a few in your workplace, but are they any good?
Personally I think standing desks are a useful tool depending on how you use them.
Standing isn’t necessarily better for you than sitting. The benefit is in changing position and moving throughout the day.
If you try to stand at your desk for 8 hours a day you’ll probably find your feet and legs ache, the muscles in your back get tired and you start leaning on your desk.
The best approach is to stand at your desk for a while, then change to sitting for a bit, and then stand again. The amount of time you spend standing is up to you. Be guided by what feels comfortable and sit down again when you start feeling tired or achy. If you’re not sure, try standing for 30 mins or so at a time. After a while, you’ll get stronger and be able to stand for longer periods.
Alternating between sitting and standing introduces extra movement to your day, gets different muscle groups working and therefore may help you feel stronger and less sensitive to back pain.
To summarise, standing desks are a useful tool but they need to be used mindfully.
I'm an Osteopath in Walthamstow, East London E17.
