You asked:
I work an office job. Should I get a sit-stand desk?
Our response:
Office job or not, our world certainly has us sitting much more than nature intended. You may have even heard the phrase “sitting is the new smoking” when it comes to our health. The concept of the sit-stand desk is great. They provide the ability for us to change our position and spend time in different postures, while not compromising our productivity at work. Unfortunately though, the research has shown we are just not all that good at using them. Like many things, the novelty tends to wear off and after about three months, use tends to greatly decline. Now of course, this is not the case for everyone; some individuals have and use these desks effectively and regularly with much success.
Another alternative is to find ways to incorporate “movement breaks” into your day. Ergonomically speaking, it is recommended that we all have small position changes every 15 minutes (this could be something as small as shifting in your chair) and large position changes, every hour. Here are some examples of ways you can work large position changes into your work day:
- Stand up to greet anyone who walks into your office or workspace (face masks on and distanced for our current times, of course!)
- Drink plenty of water to ensure regular washroom breaks (there are other health benefits to doing this as well)
- Position a device you use regularly, but not constantly (ie. a printer), across the room or office, so you have to get up to retrieve your papers
- Set a recurring alarm on your smartphone to remind you when it’s time to get up and move
-Team STRIDE