To sit or to stand... that is the question.

Most of us spend 8-9 hours a day sitting at a desk in an office and staring at a computer screen.  This is what is "normal".  Thanks to the wonders of technology, life has become far more sedentary than it used to be.  Believe me I am not knocking technology, but you have to admit that life is far less strenuous than it was for our parents or grandparents.

There have been lots of articles recently about the need to stand while at work, or to move as much as possible.  I, for one, believe as NASA does that the more we move the healthier we will be.  You may recall I wrote a post a while back about NASA's take on exercise.  In it I stated that if you work in an office sitting at a desk for 8-9 hours you are killing your self and that going to the gym between 3 to 5 times a week does not reduce the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

The risks associated to a sedentary lifestyle are:

• The electrical activity of muscles drops initiating a whole host of dangerous metabolic effects
• The body's calorie-burning mechanisms slow down
• Insulin efficiency drops which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes
• Obesity escalates as enzymes that break down lipids and triglycerides also drop bringing levels of HDL (good cholesterol) down with them

The good thing is that this type of information seems to be getting through to lots of people.  Standing desks have been designed and are available in many different shapes, forms and prices.  IKEA even sells them.  There are also other ways to turn your office desk into a standing desk without having to buy a whole new desk; the incredibly expensive Varidesk is an great example of this... such a shame it is so expensive!  There is also a new Kickstarter project for a LEANING desk which may be better for some people.

But when I first started reading about this I kept coming back to the same thing.  Wouldn't standing up to work be difficult?  Would it be comfortable?  Would my feet hurt or my back?  I am used to working for half an hour and then getting up and moving around.  I'm lucky in that I work from home so after 30 minutes of working on my computer I get up and hoover a room, or do the dusting, or empty the dishwasher or put the washing machine on... you name it, I do it and combining working with housework means that everything gets done.  But I do sit to work and when I have patient clinics I sit to talk to my patients.

But there is a lot to be said for standing.  I have read several articles this week about the health benefits of standing while at work;

• weight loss
• core strength
• improvements in osteoporosis
• better posture
• reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
• reduced risk of some cancers (breast and colon cancers are influenced by physical activity or rather the lack of)
• lower long-term mortality risk
• Better brain function
• Some even report working more efficiently while standing.

Winston Churchill

Even though this may be a new concept for many people, 90% of Swedish office workers have a standing desk available to them compared to only 1% in England, but standing to work has been around for a very long time.  Devotees to this trend from way back were famous people such as Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens and Virginia Wolf, maybe they were on to something!

I have written this post standing up for the first time ever... not a bad experience although I have to admit my lower back is complaining slightly!

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com