Workplace standing desks less healthy than first believed

Standing desks in the workplace may not be as healthy as first thought, according to new research.

Researchers from Finland have found that many of the health benefits associated with active workstations may simply be marketing hyperbole from the manufacturers.

These desks are claimed to promote better physical health, improved posture and even reduced mental stress.

According to the researchers from the University of Jyvaskyla, several studies in recent years have added to warnings about the perils of prolonged sedentary behaviour on our health and wellbeing. These studies have ultimately led to a new sector of ergonomics and products aimed at improving work posture and other factors.

The software industry is one particular field of work that seems more stereotypically prone to issues associated with being sedentary in the workplace. The research team therefore opted to investigate a small cohort of individuals in this sector to see whether or not there are benefits to standing workstations.

The team investigated the physical activity, mental alertness, stress and musculoskeletal strain in employees of a large software company in Finland. The employees completed a questionnaire and participated in the Firstbeat Lifestyle Assessment service.

It was found that the benefits of standing at work over sitting for workers in this industry were not at all as clear-cut as the marketing hype for standing workstations might suggest.

“The findings of this study suggest that the usage of standing instead of sitting workstations results in only modest promotions of physical activity,” said the team.

Moreover, the change “does not have an effect on mental alertness”. Indeed, standing to work seems to shift the stress-recovery balance more towards stress than recovery. They did see a decrease in musculoskeletal strain in the user’s neck and shoulders, although stress and strain was raised in the legs and feet. Interestingly, the use of standing workstations did not have an impact on work posture comfort or workstation satisfaction, the team found.

There were modest physical improvements to health, with heart rates increased by 4.2 beats per minute on average, a rise in VO₂ of 0.3 mL per kg body mass per minute, and another 6.1 kilocalories were burned per hour. The standing desks also marginally reduced upper body tension. However, these benefits would have to be offset against the increased risk of varicose veins, common in those who stand for long periods, and perhaps lower back problems exacerbated by always being upright.

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