Standing desks? It’s becoming more and more popular in offices across the country. Some people swear by it and rave about the health benefits, but is it all that it’s cracked up to be?
A new study is casting some doubts, but is it legit?
Jackie McNamara has been standing and working at her desk for the past five years.
“I like to move, I don’t do great sitting down. So, the more I can move the better,” said the Wellness Coordinator at Hyland, creator of OnBase, in Westlake.
And since she made the switch, she said she’s noticed a difference in the way her body feels.
“I’d say in general I feel better the days that I get 10,000 steps,” said McNamara. “So if five days have gone by and I haven’t stood up at all, I don’t feel great by the end of the week.”
But could be standing her desk prevent major health issues over sitting? Science begs to differ.
“The Cochran collaborative looks at all the data in the literature and tries to analyze it…but they look at very hard science,” said Dr. Michael Roizen, Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic and national expert on this topic, who also just happens to stand at his desk with a walking treadmill.
“I gave my secretary one, I bought myself one. So it’s a treadmill, regular treadmill and I put a desk over it,” said Roizen.
The study Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews published late last month, said there's no real scientific evidence showing standing burns more calories and prevents major health problems like heart failure than sitting.
“We just haven’t had enough studies on it,” Roizen said. “The data we have both anecdotal and in the studies that Cochran reviewed, look like it’s going to be a benefit.”
But whether you choose to stand or sit at work, experts say the most important thing is that at some point throughout the day, you make sure you get up and move.
“Do physical activity…and the components of physical activity, the most important one is any physical activity, that 10 thousand steps a day is really key,” said Roizen.
