Office workers are dying a slow death by leading a sedentary existence at work. The nation over, office employees spend up to 8 hours each day in the seated position; that’s up to 40 hours per week with little to no physical activity. Over an entire career, that number can balloon to over 60,000 hours stuck in the seated position.

With so much time spent sitting down at work, employees put themselves at greater risk of contracting debilitating health problems like atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, varicose veins, severe muscle tightness, joint deterioration, obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, and more. Bodies in motion stay in motion and studies show, the simple act of standing for periods throughout your workday can drastically improve your overall health and prevent you from contracting serious medical conditions.

Health benefits associated with standing while working

Standing at work doesn’t just prevent disease and repetitive stress injuries; there are a number of health benefits associated with standing while working, including:

• Improved circulation
• Improved cognitive function
• Improved posture
• Improved metabolic function
• Increased energy
• Improved mood and
• Improved muscle tone

Standing improves worker productivity

That’s right, in addition to providing numerous health benefits; standing improves worker productivity and satisfaction. Dynamic workstations are the easiest way to alternate between seated and standing work positions. While they require an initial investment, employers quickly recoup their expense through improved employee morale and productivity.

Choosing to stand during your workday

If you’re interested in standing during portions of your workday, but your employer stands between you and that amazing Xdesk dynamic workstation you have your eye on, there are a number of temporary solutions you can implement to position your keyboard, mouse, and monitor in the correct spot. Here is an illustration that shows the ideal standing workstation ergonomics. The Mayo Clinic also offers these helpful hints for the ideal seated desk arrangement.

When advocating for a dynamic workstation one of the most powerful techniques is demonstrating that you would use the product frequently. Another powerful tool is pointing out that studies show employees who stand while working enjoy increased productivity and cognitive functioning, which ultimately benefits their employer. Knowing their bottom line will benefit is a compelling argument that any reluctant business owner or boss will be hard-pressed to ignore and could be just the nudge they need to outfit your office with dynamic workstations.

While we all have to work, we don’t have to sit in poorly designed workstations while doing so. Standing for even part of the day has significant health benefits. Standing while working also improves cognitive function and helps us remain engaged and productive, making us more efficient and effective employees. Take time to browse our extensive selection of dynamic workstations to find the perfect option for you.

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1. Write
Learning how to express one’s feelings and correctly communicate through writing is a great skill to have. Expressing an idea calls for an exactness of thought that’s mentally stimulating as well as challenging. You don’t have to be the next Ernest Hemingway, but successfully putting your thoughts on paper can be a rewarding experience.

2. Read
Reading may not be the most favorite pastime for people and it requires time, but it does help you absorb information quickly. To help spur your love of reading, choose to read things that relate to a certain hobby or your work.

If you’re an engineer, it wouldn’t hurt to read a few news articles on the latest trends and research in the field (that you could later impress your boss with). Take a trip to your local library and spend some time there, you may be surprised at what you find.

3. Manage Stress
Of course it’s easier said than done, but learning how to manage stress can greatly affect mental health. Stress can be distracting, depressing, and overwhelming, which ultimately affects a person’s mental stability. Practice deep breathing exercises or meditation, and make sure to get enough sleep to start managing a stressful lifestyle.

Speaking of sleep, getting enough sleep is essential to staying mentally active. Sleep helps consolidate memories and “reboot” brain function for the next day.

4. Learn a New Skill
What better way to stay mentally active than learning something new? With new technology coming out almost daily, learning how to use a new app or computer program is a great way to maintain mental health. And when you’ve mastered a new design software or program, you may be able to add it to your resume. If you don’t want to devote that much time, consider trying a new recipe for dinner or taking a new route home without the GPS.

5. Share Your Interests
Being around others who share the same interests is an easy way to stay mentally active. Join a club or build relationships with people around you to create a sense of belonging and community. Shared interests can lead to great conversations, enjoyable memories, and a sense of well-being.

And of course while you’re at work, don’t forget to stand, stretch and move around throughout the day. Have a conversation with a coworker that doesn’t involve work, or take a break to read a news article. These daily practices along with physical activity, will keep you engaged for lifelong mental health.

The post How to Stay Mentally Active appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

A few quotes on health will inspire anyone to keep standing.

In our last posts we told you about why choosing a Xdesk adjustable height desk is a healthy choice, not only for your body, but also for the environment. Today we thought we’d expand a bit on that healthy theme.

Xdesk’s adjustable height desks are created with your health in mind. From the materials used in these sit to stand desks, all the way up the ergonomic design for your unique body. In short, these sit to stand desks are all about health. And so to celebrate that, here are some healthy and active quotes to start your day.

Sitting is being crippled. – African Proverb

I never heard of anyone stumbling upon something sitting down. – Charles F. Kettering

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. – Plato

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states. – Carol Welch

It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor. – Marcus Tullius Cicero

If it weren’t for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn’t get any exercise at all. – Joey Adams

The greatest wealth is health. – Virgil

Our body is a machine for living. It is organized for that, it is its nature. Let life go on in it unhindered and let it defend itself, it will do more than if you paralyze it by encumbering it with remedies. – Leo Tolstoy

Life is like a tree and its root is consciousness. Therefore, once we tend the root, the tree as a whole will be healthy. – Deepak Chopra

A healthy body is the guest-chamber of the soul; a sick, its prison. – Francis Bacon

So as you go through your day, your week, and your life in general, keep these quotes in mind. Health is about more than maintaining a good physique, it is about balancing your mental and physical body, nourishing the soul and living. With an adjustable height desk, you’ll boost your energy and metabolism, you’ll allow blood to flow to the brain and limbs, and studies show, you can even increase your lifespan. So get to living.

Do you have a favorite healthy quote? Share it below!

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