Both The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph have led on stories, which say standing and working is just as bad for you as sitting and working.
Researchers at Exeter University and University College London followed more than 5,000 people over a 16-year period and their findings were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
“Any stationary posture where energy expenditure is low may be detrimental to health, be it sitting or standing,” said Melvyn Hillsdon from Exeter’s sport and health sciences department.
“The results cast doubt on the benefits of sit-stand work stations, which employers are increasingly providing to promote healthy working environments.”
What is the truth in this? Isn’t BackCare always saying you should be standing and working?
Time to dig a little deeper.
Standing and working for long periods of time, is just as bad for you as sitting and working for long periods of time.
The trickhttp://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/10/09/ije.dyv191.full is to just get more active in the workplace and Sit Stand Desks encourage you to do just that.
Our Head of Research, Dr Adam Al-Kashi said “Sit-stand desks are not about swapping one prolonged static posture for another. They are a doorway to behavioral change, triggering a rethink about how we engage with the workplace. Catalysing the emergence of a workplace culture where health, wellbeing and productivity are all enhanced by building decision control and frequent movement variety into the normal working day.”
So stand up and work, go and make a cup of tea, go to the loo, walk to the photocopier, have a walking meeting, any excuse to move around, in the office is good for you.
The findings in the International Journal of Epidemiology can be found here