Due to the appearance of new innovations (television, car, computer, etc.) and the development of sedentary workstations, we are spending more and more time sitting, whether in our personal or professional life (up to 75% of the time awake for people working in an office). However, studies have shown that staying too often and for a long time in this position is risky for your health, hence the idea of working while standing!
Seated work: what are the risks
According to an ActivUP survey, French employees are mostly against sitting down (79%), even though this is the most common position to work. They believe that it is not suitable for the human body and that it is harmful to health.
They are not wrong because, in fact, research (by the INRS) and American scientific studies have been carried out to prove that sitting too long is harmful to health. In fact, the risks and possible impacts are as follows:
- Increase in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
- Back, shoulder or shoulder pain
- Development of Alzheimer’s disease
- Falls
- Chronic fatigue
- Heavy legs
- Reduced life expectancy
- Obesity
- Breast cancer
- Colon Cancer
- Cardiovascular illnesses
- Constipation
In addition, the results show that the risk of mortality of people working seated for less than 4 hours a day, having a daily sport activity of at least 1 hour, is lower (6.8%) than those who remain seated for 8 hours or more. more in the office (9.9%).
Setting up sit-stand work
It therefore seems important to change your daily habits, including those at work, by opting for a sit-stand desk. While the concept has been adopted for several years in the Scandinavian countries, it is only arriving in Europe.
A sit-stand desk makes it easy to switch to either position with manual or electric adjustment. The height adjustment means that it can adapt to the morphology of each person, which is not negligible. Several different models exist such as the ZestDesk (to put on your desk), the Ology from SteelCase or the Bekant from Ikea.
Before offering sit-stand work, it is necessary to explain why. However, it should not be imposed because everyone should be able to do their job in the position that suits them best. In addition, it is preferable to alternate the two positions. The international standard ISO n ° 9241-11: 1998 indicates that it is advisable that the layout of the position, the task and the furniture allow the employee to alternate positions. Indeed, working standing is beneficial for health, but can become uncomfortable, painful after a while. Typing tasks and creative tasks can be done sitting down, the others standing.
If this is not in place, avoid staying static all day: get up as soon as possible, do small exercises (shoulder roll, back stretch, etc.) and be active outside of working hours to keep a good health.
Benefits of standing up
Opting for sit-stand work allows:
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- To have an office more suited to its size and morphology
- Burn calories faster
- To be more dynamic
- To promote blood circulation
- To avoid the blows of fatigue
- To be more productive in the long term (according to a study carried out in a call center for 6 months, by working standing, employees saw their productivity increase by 46%)
- To be more focused
- To have less stiffness and joint pain and therefore reduce the number of sick leaves
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