“Time to stretch your legs a bit?” – Oura
“Time to stand! Stand up and move a little for one minute.” – Apple Watch
Your wearable fitness technology isn’t nagging you for no good reason. While you may not be able to work out every day, standing and moving at least once per hour is one of the easiest antidotes to high cholesterol and blood pressure, obesity, and heart diseases caused by a sedentary lifestyle.
Start making the most of the mental, physical, and productivity-related benefits of standing now! Get out of your chair and read this blog post standing up.
The mental benefits of standing
A joint study between Ariel University and Tel Aviv University showed that the minor cognitive stress caused by standing over sitting could improve cognitive function and increase processing time by one-fifth.
Another study showed that employees using a standing workstation consistently outperformed their seated colleagues— with benefits steadily increasing over time. The variance in work positions helps boost creativity, productivity, and focus.
Screen time is never great for mental health, yet many of us make a living by sitting in front of a computer all day. Thankfully, the choice isn’t between making a living or living a good life. Researchers in Australia found that depression, anxiety, and stress all decreased when workers opted for a standing desk over sitting full-time. When you can’t turn off the screen, stand up to reduce their negative effects.
The physical benefits of standing
Ok, so disruptions to a sedentary day can benefit your mental health. But can standing really help your physical health, too? Just take a look at these benefits:
- Improvement in blood circulation
- Reduced waist circumference
- Lower fat levels
- Reduced cholesterol levels
- Increased metabolism
- Better heart health
Standing instead of sitting helps the average adult burn 0.15 more calories per minute. And that’s just standing— no walking or workouts involved. We’re not knocking exercise, though. The benefits increase even more when you add movement.
The physical benefits don’t stop there. If you don’t have perfect posture while sitting (and really, who does?!), you probably experience neck and shoulder pain and headaches related to poor seated posture. Adding in some standing work hours can decrease neck and shoulder tension, helping reduce your pain levels.
Can standing actually benefit your work?
Yes! During one three-month study in Japan, participants who utilized sit-stand hybrid desks reported less physical pain and improved work vitality and performance over their counterparts who only sat while working.
Regularly standing throughout the day can make a world of difference on your mental and physical health. Supplement your hourly standing breaks or time at a standing desk with a few workout classes with Enhancewell Fitness every week, and maximize the health benefits consistent movement can provide.
Enhancewell Fitness offers multiple group classes throughout the day and private or 2-on-1 sessions if our classes don’t fit into your schedule or you need a personalized workout plan post-injury. Take a stand for your health— book today!
