Stand and Deliver: 6 Reasons Standing at Work Can Make You Skinny and Productive

Did you know that a recent study says 1 in 10 deaths worldwide are caused by a lack of physical activity?

style="color: #0000ff;">style="text-decoration: underline;"> has reported that physical inactivity increases your risk of developing coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancer – just to name a few. What’s that mean for you? Even with a strict workout schedule in place, you should also get up and move around throughout the day – or even better, invest in a standing desk. Here’s why:

Standing makes you more alert – We’ve all hit that moment where we want to revert back to childhood and our afternoon naps. It turns out sitting all day long can do more than just make you fat – it also makes you tired and less productive. Next time you feel your eyelids drooping, get up and take a walk around the block, to the water cooler, or to your coworker’s cubicle.

Standing can decrease your risk of musculoskeletal disorders – If you sit all day, your legs, knees and lower back get sore because there’s pressure put on them from different areas of your body, when really, your body was designed to be up and moving throughout the day. Sitting for prolonged periods of time can lead to the development of musculoskeletal disorders – so find yourself a reason to get moving.

Standing (and moving) increases your metabolism – The enzyme lipoprotein lipase resides in your muscle’s blood vessels and works all day long to help your body burn fat. But, the enzyme only moves around like it’s supposed to when you’re up and moving around. Sitting in one place all day prevents the enzyme from burning fat, thus causing your body to accumulate extra body fat.

Sometimes, creativity is at its peak in person – There’s a good reason office communication is done through emails and reports; anything discussed is on record. But if you find yourself stuck on a design or putting your next big idea into words, get up and walk to your coworker’s cubicle. Toss around a ball and talk it out. It’ll not only wake up your body, but your mind too.

Standing improves your posture, making you look thinner – Your spine naturally makes an S-shaped curve and when you sit, it’s forced into a C-shape, which puts stress on your lower back and bottom half. Have you ever felt numb after sitting for a long period of time? That’s why – your body wasn’t designed to support your organs and muscles while sitting for six hours. Standing at work working will help straighten out your spine and give you a more confident walk when you are up and moving.

Being in the same position for hours can make your eyes feel strained – Have you ever felt pain around your eyes and neck after looking at your computer screen all day? Or perhaps you notice your eyes are dry, sensitive to light, or even causing blurry vision. This is likely due to too much time in front of your computer. Next time you notice these symptoms, get up and walk around the office. To really get a step away, walk around the block, get some air and clear your mind. You’ll be way more productive after having 10 minutes away from your computer screen.

 

Tomorrow when you go into work, consider the above research. Try a standing desk for the day, or just make an effort to get up for a few minutes out of every hour and walk around. Get a breath of fresh air and come back to your desk productive as ever.

 

About the Author:

align="LEFT">style="color: #222222;">style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">style="font-size: medium;">Gwen Stewart is a marketing guru for clients of Outbounding.com. She works far too many hours, but has мейд a personal goal of eliminating Sunday from her work week. Her vision for the Fall includes one hour of yoga 4 times each week, homemade soup, saving for retirement, and time off work. She also believes that a style="color: #0000ff;">style="text-decoration: underline;">style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">style="font-size: medium;"> style="color: #222222;">style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">style="font-size: medium;">can transform and empower a soul.