It’s Complicated: Finding A Balance With the Sit-Stand Work Ethic
We’ve all heard that sitting has been called the new smoking. Standing all day causes a host of other issues including leg and back fatigue. Striking a balance between excesses of the two is leading employers to realize that they need to take measures to address how too much of either contribute to stress in the office work environment. The solution is creating movement throughout the office, it is essential for the overall health of your employees. Sit-Stand desks have entered the workforce with renewed focus on the physical ramifications of the sedentary nature of desk jobs.
Sedentary lifestyles have well-known adverse health implications, as does standing on your feet all day on cement floors. There is a wealth of information on the Internet about the sit-stand paradigm. Office design requires not only savvy furniture selections; it also requires more viable strategies for integrative solutions and policies that address these occupational hazards.
In the six studies conducted by the Cochrane Review for standing desks, researchers found that people “did increase their time on their feet somewhat from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the study. However, the small sample size meant researchers couldn’t conclusively recommend standing desks. They did point out that other studies in which participants were encouraged to do more activities such as a take a walk during a break, only had a modest decrease in time spent sitting.”
As a result, industry trends have seen a surge in office space redesigns that focus on the issues of movement, ergonomics and natural light in the workspace. These designs have brought new configurations to the table and are changing the way the inner office communicates:
- Boardroom meetings have become more mobile
- Staggering departments so employees have to get up and move around the office
- The addition of bright natural light-filled small huddle areas that force people to get out of their cubicles and mingle for short discussions
- Provocative standing meeting areas close to a window-line that provide both natural light and foster a more relaxed exchange of ideas
Changing not only how you meet but where can offer some other interesting opportunities. Encouraging walking meetings, urging workers to take stretch breaks frequently via a computer reminder, developing incentives with company fit-bit programs and ergonomic check-ups and self-assessments of workstations are other ways to keep people moving. Resilient employees are happier, healthier and likely to have fewer injuries, less fatigue, and enhanced focus.
In addition to ergonomic workstations and sit-stand desk options, smart office design incorporates mobility everywhere. Even outside. Walking paths, healthy parking spaces and on-site fitness centers are also making an appearance. Flexible areas that can transition from meeting spaces to functional wellness program spaces for yoga or low impact stretching and back to private office space offer a lot of options.
Flexible office design that allows people to find the work style that works best for them is a key player in the new ergonomics of work. It is a refreshing change from the days of being desk or cubicle-bound. Defining office policies that encourage interaction and mobility will keep your staff active and engaged on multiple levels. A healthier office is a more productive office, so finding that balance is a very good business decision!
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MEET DARRELL McCOLLAM: Darrell is our newest team member and he comes to us with a strong background in commercial furniture sales, space planning and design with extensive experience in all facets of government sales. He brings with him an extensive network of professional relationships throughout Texas. If you need help with an office reconfiguration, contact Darrell at 888-910-3769 x132 or darrell@officefurniturenow.com.
