The standing desk has taken the term ‘desk job’ to new heights. A standing desk is basically any desk behind which you can stand at work and can range from fancy contraptions to a stack of books. However, what is the point of this kind of desk?
The human body is designed to move, but our lives are becoming increasingly sedentary. Did you know that we spend an average of seven to nine hours every day sitting? This is probably higher for us Mumbaikars who also spend hours in traffic!
Physical inactivity is a leading cause of mortality while studies show that those who sit a lot have an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Unfortunately, whether you work in an office or at home, we end up spending most of our time sitting down facing our computer screens. This is one of the reasons why we created a huge variety of spaces at Ministry, to keep you from getting bored and keeping those creative juices flowing.
Apart from engaging in high-intensity exercise during the week, it’s a good idea to break up long periods of sitting down with a short walk through the courtyard or by standing for 30 minutes. Standing can increase energy levels, boost metabolism, tone your muscles and even improve your mood. Some say that standing after a meal helps regulate blood sugar levels as well. You’ll also find that your neck and back will hurt less (given you’re using the right height of a standing desk) while standing as compared to while you’re sitting down. So why not fight the ‘sitting disease’, a term coined to talk about the ill-effects of an overly sedentary lifestyle, and stand with us?
We’ve got a standing desk in the Gallery at our shared coworking space which you can try out to see if it’s something you could get used to.