Standing Desks and Chair Massage Offer Preventative Healthcare

standing-desks There have been numerous articles written and studies conducted lately that indicate sitting for prolonged periods of time can actually harm the modern American worker. Sitting in this way leads to increased stress on the spine which contributes to increased back pain. When offering on-site massage in a variety of locations (offices, manufacturing plants along with retail operations) it seems that Americans are sitting for much longer than their bodies can handle.

I have read that workers sit on average for six hours per day. Wow! Many are encouraged to take walks and frequent breaks to combat the prolonged sitting. This is great and effective in theory but in reality, breaks and walks are not always the priority when workloads begin to grow.

Times are a changin’! Standing desks are becoming more used and of interest. What is a standing desk? It’s a desk that allows for more movement to stand. There are many benefits of using a standing desk as an alternative to a regular desk such as more flexible movement, more activity, more calories burned, etc.

A few customers that I have spoken to report reduced back pain, better energy levels, more flexibility, and in more control of their office environment.

There are some considerations for the stand up desk:

Ease into the new desk with a gradual increase of time as standing for long periods of time can be uncomfortable when you are not used to it.

Cushioned mats are helpful when using a standing desk because they allow for your joints to not be as stressed.

Adjust the screen and keyboard settings to have the screen at eye level for easy use and to provide for the optimal neck position.

Another welcomed change would be to offer an on-site chair massage therapist at your place of work! Although it does involve sitting for a chair massage, the benefits are great and match those listed with increased productivity, decrease in stress, etc.