Finally, sit-stand desks may not be very good for your health

© Shutterstock/Andrey Popov

Increasingly popular, “sit-stand” desks or “modular” have seen their sales explode in recent years. The development of teleworking with the confinement of 2020 has even brought this object into our homes, to the point that thousands of people use it every day days.

On paper, these desks are supposed to combat a sedentary lifestyle. The frequent change of position, between sitting and standing, allows for a minimum of physical exercise. Some people even use treadmills that they slide under their desk to stay as active as possible, while working.

A false good idea ?

While many scientific studies have proven the benefits of these changes of position, both for physical health and for concentration skills, new research, conducted by Australian scientists, tends to limit the powers of these desks.

In fact, in their study, the researchers found that out of the 83,000 people surveyed, standing for too long actually did more harm than good. In particular, it can aggravate blood circulation problems. Standing can lead to varicose veins or even dizziness and headaches.

Sitting is not recommended

However, and this study makes this clear, it is not recommended to sit all day without doing anything. This can lead to obesity, heart problems or increase the risk of stroke.

Finally, and as in many cases, the right solution is somewhere in between. You should not stay seated, that would be very bad for your body, but working only while standing (and even more so in a static position) is not really better.

Alternation, the best solution?

Scientists therefore recommend alternating positions. To do this, several methods can be used, including the famous “pomodoro technique” which is already very popular. You can also work for a certain amount of time, before getting up, taking a few steps and resuming your work after a few minutes.

This solution, although still not perfect, allows you to limit the risks as much as possible. It is also very important to remember that in addition to our vascular health, which is at stake during long static work sessions, our eyes are also the first to be affected by sedentary work.

The constant presence of screens in our lives is not a gift for them and we must, as much as possible, try to change our environment (by looking into the distance for a few minutes for example). The next time you have a coffee while pacing, staring into space, you will just have to tell your boss that you are simply taking care of your body.

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