Standing desks have gained a lot of popularity in recent years, with many offices transitioning from having employees sitting for 8-10 hours a day to standing while they work at their desks. Standing desks have gained popularity for their numerous health benefits, which according to Leech (2017), include lowering blood sugar levels, potentially lowering your risk of heart disease, reducing back pain, improving mood and energy levels, and boosting productivity among other health benefits.

According to UCLA Health, A good standing desk “increases muscle activity compared to sitting.” These health benefits greatly improve one’s quality of life and help to create a more positive work environment. 

It’s clear to see that standing desks have many benefits that might outweigh an ergonomic chair. While an ergonomic chair is more beneficial than an ill-fitting chair, there just seem to be more benefits to having a standing desk. 

Ergonomic Chair Helps to Alleviate Back Pain

While an ergonomic chair helps to alleviate back pain and reduce stress-related injuries, a standing desk has the potential to mitigate these risks further by removing the sitting component. It’s no secret that sitting for long periods of time in a day can negatively impact one’s health and while an ergonomic chair attempts to address this concern, it does not completely eliminate the possibility of a stress-related injury that comes from being seated for long periods of time.

There are no guarantees with a standing desk either, but on top of further eliminating the risk of injuries and muscle fatigue that comes from sitting for long periods of time, there are also potential added health benefits. Ergonomic chairs help mitigate the possibility of stress-related injuries and muscle fatigue without doing much else to add potential health benefits to the employee.

Sitting, regardless of whether it’s in an ergonomic chair or not, is still a sedentary activity, and as Leech (2017) further states, “reducing sedentary time can improve physical, metabolic and even mental health.” By reducing sedentary time, a standing desk can improve overall employee health, helping them stay refreshed and focused. 

Despite seemingly being more beneficial than an ergonomic chair on the outset, standing desks still have their drawbacks. First and foremost, standing desks are only appropriate for able-bodied folks who can stand for long periods of time, and not everyone has that ability.

Therefore, if someone is not able to stand for long periods of time or it’s painful for them to do so, a standing desk is not the best option. In that case, an ergonomic chair can provide them with a comfortable solution to having to be sedentary for long periods of time. 

However, there are downsides to standing for long periods of time, too. According to UCLA Health, sitting uses less energy than standing, which helps to “stabilize the body to perform fine motor tasks like computer work.

”Furthermore, as UCLA Health states, standing “increases pressure cartilage in the knees, hips and balls of the feet” and “requires 20% more energy than sitting placing greater strain on the circulatory system” and standing in the incorrect position for too long can also create further damage. Standing desks might not be the best option for everyone. 

Some people may just prefer sitting over standing so ergonomic chairs are also a popular option. As long as you get the right chair, sitting can be beneficial too. If you are looking for bulk office equipment or chairs, then take advantage of wholesale computer chairs offers which can save your business a lot of money.

The best solution would be an option that allows flexibility between standing and sitting. There are desks that can be easily converted to a standing desk, although these are often quite expensive and cost inefficient. Another option that is also more budget-friendly would be a standing desk converter, often being a simple addition to an existing desk that raises the height of a computer or small area to that of standing height.

This option allows for greater flexibility for those who wish to take advantage of the many benefits that come with having a standing desk, including providing an inclusive option for those who might only be able to stand for short periods of time but still want to take part. 

It is very important to choose the correct office furniture for your business. Need affordable office furniture? Check out the wholesale office furniture at Autonomous.

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