To Sit or To Stand? That is the Question!

I love my new WorkFit -PD Sit-Stand Desk by Ergotron. For many years I have had serious issues with my neck and back. I blame an old whiplash injury from 29 years ago. Mainly because that is how far back I can remember being in pain. But maybe it was many contributing factors and not just that one thing. The sedentary lifestyle of office work, the physical labor of new store openings, long flights, long car rides, walking trade-show floors or the stress of a crazy busy life. I now have a very different life. I am not working any less, I am writing this blog at 5 am, it's just different. ​

My new stand-up desk enables an effortless sit-to-stand work style.
​I move from a sitting to a standing position whenever I want. It's just a click of a lever. I chose the PD 24-280-927 model in walnut. It blends in nicely with my home office furniture and provides me the flexibility I need to move it around my work/living spaces.

It features 19.5-inch (50 cm) height adjustment—patented CF™ technology which allows me instantaneous, tool-free, non-motorized re-positioning while I work! And the integrated brake secures the table top in place and easily releases to change heights.

Stanford Study tackles low back pain. The study, “Impact of a Sit-Stand Workstation on Chronic Low Back Pain Results of a Randomized Trial,” published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM) by Stanford University researchers Grant T. Ognibene, BA, Wilson Torres, BS, Rie von Eyben, MS, and Kathleen C. Horst, MD, concluded that low back pain may be improved by the introduction of sit-stand workstations which enable “postural variation” throughout the workday.

Here are their key findings:

• Reduced pain: At the end of the study, participants who used the sit-stand workstations were 78 percent more likely to report a pain-free day than those who worked at their regular workstations
• Quick intervention: Participants began to experience a difference in approximately 15 days after the sit-stand computer workstation was installed
• Increased concentration: Participants reported significantly lower back and neck pain, noting the pain was significantly less likely to interfere with their ability to concentrate

“These results reinforce the importance of movement and activity in creating a healthier workforce and population,” said Carrie Schmitz, senior research manager for Ergotron. “Businesses have a real opportunity to not only help their hurting employees start to feel more productive, but also proactively address the issues associated with prolonged sitting before they occur.”

The researchers conclude that when given access to a sit-stand workstation, participants with chronic lower back pain reported significantly lower pain levels over time when compared with the control group. More study is needed to fully understand the impacts on pain and prevention of pain but until then, this study is a terrific starting point for workers and businesses alike to explore new alternatives to helping their employees feel better on the job and off.

For the whole article:
http://blog.juststand.org/2016/01/14/stanford-study-tackles-lower-back-pain/  
For more on workplace wellness:
http://www.juststand.org/

For more on Ergotron:
https://www.ergotron.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

Ergotron's Benefits stated: 

For Computer Users

• On-demand sit-stand workstation—improve your energy and productivity by standing or sitting as you work, and then switch positions whenever you choose. Standing a little more each day burns extra calories, tones muscles, improves posture, increases blood flow and ramps up metabolism
• Safe, easy-to-use—comes fully assembled and offers effortless operation
• Designed to meet North American and European ergonomic standards
• Robust weight capacity holds multiple displays, keyboards, books, phones ... whatever you need in your workflow

For IT and Facilities Staff

• Ships fully assembled! IT deployment friendly—simple and quick
• Flexible, open-architecture design is scalable for future computer equipment
• Durable, robust structure, designed to ANSI/BIFMA X5.5-2008

For HR/Risk Management and Company Cost Savings

• Manage the cost of healthcare premiums by promoting wellness in the daily work routine
• Comfortable computing offers provable ROI on investment—healthcare costs associated with unhealthy computing and missed time are reduced while productivity increases
• Standing supports healthy neck and back conditions. According to the 2007 OE Medicine Journal, back and neck pain are cited as the most costly conditions affecting employees
• Studies in office ergonomics show productivity increases of 12%–18% following an ergonomic intervention where employees are provided with well-designed ergonomic furniture**

 

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