We all know that sitting too much is bad for your health and wellbeing, and is a major contributor to Postural Syndrome (discussed in our series on What’s Causing Your Pain?). At Dynamic Physio we see a lot of clients who are suffering from aches and pains related to sitting at a desk for long period of time.
If you sit at a computer for most of the day you may notice pain in your shoulders, back (upper/mid/lower), and neck towards the end of the day. You may also notice that you experience tension headaches, which can be caused by poor posture and sitting for long periods of time.
There’s been a lot of hype around the benefits of standing desks recently and there are definitely some smart health-related reasons you should consider adopting this style of workspace:
- Standing burns 50% more calories per hour compared to sitting
- Reduce health risks around obesity, blood pressure, and actually some cancers
- Improve posture, and reduce pain related to postural syndrome
- Improve core strength
- Increase energy and focus
Some considerations if you are thinking of changing to a standing desk:
Adapt gradually: don’t expect to transition from sitting for 8 hours a day to standing for a full 8 hours. Aim to start off with a couple of hours and build up from there.
Wear comfortable/supportive shoes: it goes without saying, standing up for a long period of time in the wrong footwear can cause more harm than good.
Don’t forget to move around: Although standing is better than sitting, intermittent walking breaks are even more important for your health.
The bottom line: holding your body in any position for long periods of time is less than ideal and can lead to pain and injury. We all need to move more, and considering a standing desk for your workspace could be a nice way to help achieve this!
If you have any questions about workplace posture, postural syndrome, or back/neck pain, don’t hesitate to talk to your physiotherapist.