Recent research indicates that sitting for long periods of time affects glucose levels and increases insulin resistance. Once insulin resistance begins a vicious battle ensues and belly fat settles in around the internal organs, and weight gain becomes evident.
Staying healthy is easy but staying fit is easier said than done. Most workers who are tied to sedentary jobs will find it difficult to spend 30 minutes or more in a gym. Others can’t even do a 10-minute exercise or simple stretching right after waking up.
In 2011, a study named “Take-a-Stand Project” was promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were two groups of respondents, the first, was given a sit-stand device that fits their workstation, and the second did not. The result of the study shows that the sit-stand device helps to reduce the time spent sitting by 66 minutes per day.
Healthy benefits include reducing back and neck pain by 54% and improved mood states. It is recommended that using a standing desk at work can reduce sitting time and generate health benefits for workers. The positive reaction to these alarming findings is the installation of a standing desk for workers. A good number of business owners, health care providers, and educational institutions started to provide standing desks for their employees and even students.
Indeed, standing improves posture, reduces stiffness, promotes clear thinking and burns more calories than sitting, hands down. Professor Stuart Biddle of Victoria University in Australia says that “going to the gym for 30 minutes or more but still sit down in a day's work can still be having a sedentary lifestyle”
If you have a desk job, take small but regular breaks, walk around the office, use the stair at all times, have a standing coffee break and stand up! You will surely burn 50% more calories than sitting.
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