5 reasons why it is good for you to alternate between sitting/standing while you work

Most of us realize standing all day is not good for our health and neither is sitting. Yet many of us work in one of these postures all day. Variation is the keyword.
 

 

Improves your concentration

Appropriate variation between sitting and standing while you work ensures better blood circulation through the body, including your brain, which gets more oxygen. Your brain thus has more capacity to function optimally. This, amongst other benefits, translates into an improved level of concentration.


Increases your creativity
Research shows that by alternating between a sitting and a standing position, the brain is able to generate 2.5 times more new ideas. If you want to have a creative brainstorming session ensure there is sufficient variation between sitting and standing throughout the day or better still taking a walk.







Burns more calories
We are not very active in the office and to burn calories a lot us go to the gym in the evenings to burn those calories. Typing on a keyboard burns only 34 kcal per 30 minutes.
However when you alternate between standing and sitting while you work your heart pumps around 10 times as much blood around your body. You should still exercise regularly but this is a lot better than sitting alone.


Standing gives you more energy
By alternating between standing and sitting while you work energizes your body and mind. Fatigue from static postures builds throughout the day and is particularly noticeable in the afternoon, having a negative effect on your performance. Another beenfit to working in a standing position is that we speak differently when we stand. If we take a difficult call whilst standing we manage can move our whole body and which helps us manage our emotions better and handle the conversations more easily.


Live longer
Research conducted by the University of Missouri-Columbia shows that sitting for long periods without regularly standing has a negative effect on metabolism. So much so that employees are at higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart conditions.


Conclusion
Experts agree that only sitting or only standing while you work is bad for us. However when done correctly with appropriate furniture and employee training there are many benefits to be had for both employee and employer.