Last Updated on September 6, 2024
When people get to work, they usually change, commute, and when they reach their offices, they pull out their chairs and sit down so they can get to work on their desks. This is a common picture in the office and has been happening for several decades or even hundreds of years now.
But according to health experts, this scenario must change. You might wonder what is so wrong with this picture and it is not the commuting, rather, it is the very act of sitting down for hours in front of a desk that is detrimental to your health.
The Downside of Traditional Desks
There really is nothing wrong with traditional desks alone. What is dangerous to health is when people sit down for hours at a time while they work. According to recent studies, sitting down the whole day is as bad for the health as smoking and you all know how horrible smoking is for the health.
Several recent studies have discovered that sitting too long doubles the risk for people to develop diabetes and it also increases the risk of people developing other heart-related diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) inactivity is the 4th biggest killer of adults.
The scariest bit is that the risks stay the same even if people actually move when they are not sitting on their desks. What happens is that when people sit for extended period of time, enzymes in the muscle change and this can lead to an increase in blood sugar levels.
Standing is King
So sitting for long hours at a time is bad- what are people supposed to do? Well, one thing they can do is invest in standing desks. Standing while working might sound tiring but it has so many benefits you really wouldn’t want to miss out on.
For instance, using a standing desk forces you to stand up rather than sit and this means you burn more calories (about 50 calories more) which helps reduce the risk of weight gain and obesity. It also helps reduce the risk of people developing type 2 diabetes and other metabolic problems. There are so many more benefits to this and this is why you might want to invest in a standing desk like the ones shown below.
Best Standing Desks
1. Terra by NextDesk
This Terra desk is not just good for your health but it is also a feast for the senses. It has a wonderful design that is also ecologically friendly as it is made from sustainable bamboo. The bamboo top comes in many different shades so you can choose the one that appeals to you best and it doesn’t come with solvent based paints.
Its frame is made from recycled solid aluminum and comes in several different finishes. But what makes it special is that it can be adjusted to whatever height is comfortable for you- it can even be lowered enough to be a standard desk using the Digital LED Memory Converter.
2. New Heights
This gorgeous standing desk comes with a solid hardwood maple top that is handcrafted to perfection and has a 5-step tobacco road finish to boot. Like any excellent standing desk, it can be adjusted from a height of 24” all the way to 51” and has a standard push button for ease of adjustment. Frame is extremely stable and also quite strong since it can handle weights of up to 325 lbs.
3. Geek Desk
The Max Desk offers the best in terms of heavy duty lifting and adjustment convenience. It has a lifting capacity that maxes out at 335 lbs. plus 4 programmable pre-set modes for height adjustment. The benefits of the Max Desk do not stop there since it also has advanced specs in the form of its three section lifting legs that offer outstanding low-to-high adjustment rage and to top it all off, it is extremely quiet.
4. UpDesk
This is one good looking desk that has more going for it than just good looks. It has an adjustment lift system (electric) and a highly durable 1.25” laminate desktop that can be adjusted to a height of 25.5” up to 50.5” and it can even accommodate treadmills which is handy especially for users that want to do more than just stand around. The desktop comes in a variety of colors.
5. AD17
The AD17 is one of the truly “light duty” standing desks in the market. It can be adjusted to heights starting from 26” to 46.5” using a push-button electric adjustment system and comes with a 100 lbs. lifting capacity. To make things easier for users, it has a cable management system in place. In terms of looks, it comes with profiled and lacquered edges that are triple coated with UV hardened lacquer.