Sitting or standing at a desk will improve your health?
Currently, many offices have desks that allow sitting and standing. But new research finds little evidence of health benefits associated with its use.
Experts warn that spend a lot of time sitting may increase the risk of heart disease and obesity. Adjustable desks for working sitting or standing are among the methods being tested to reduce the time people spend sitting at work.
"It is important that workers who spend all day sitting at a desk interested in maintaining and improving their well-being both at work and at home," said study co-author Jos Verbeek Review Group Labour Cochrane in Kuopio , Finland.
"But at the moment not enough high quality evidence available to determine whether to spend more time standing at work can repair the damage involved a sedentary lifestyle," he added.
The report was published on March 17 in the journal Cochrane Library.
"Standing instead of sitting just increases energy expenditure, so we should not expect a desktop that allows sitting and standing helps you lose weight. It is important that employees and companies are aware of this, so they can make more informed decisions, "Verbeek said in a news release from the journal.
The findings come from 20 studies that evaluated the desks that allow sitting and standing and other methods to improve health behaviors at work, like walking breaks. In total almost 2,200 people participated.
Six studies focused on desks to sitting and standing popular. People who used these desks sat between 30 minutes and two hours less a day at work than those using conventional desks, researchers found. Desks that allow sitting and standing also reduced the total time spent sitting in and out of work, and duration of the occasions on which sat 30 minutes or more.
In addition, spending more time standing did not lead to varicose veins, musculoskeletal pain or lower productivity, the researchers said.
According to these results, it is too early to recommend buying a desktop that allows sitting and standing, the researchers concluded.
"We believe that people who are considering investigating adjustable desks and other operations covered in this review should be aware of the limitations of current evidence to demonstrate some health benefits," he said in the press release's lead author, Nipun Shrestha , Forum for Health Research and Social Development Tapatali in Nepal. "There is also evidence of poor quality on modest benefits with other types of interventions."
For example, it was found not to walk during breaks reduce the amount of time spent sitting at work.
Many of the studies reviewed were small and poorly designed, the study authors, who noted that more research is needed to draw firm conclusions said.
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