A lot of people sit all day. If you’re like most people, then you work at a desk, hunched over your computer. And then you drive home and sit on a couch all night. Evidence show that sitting is the new smoking. A sedentary lifestyle is very harmful for your health and can even be fatal in the long term. Sitting for long hours has been linked to several health problems. It isn’t easy to change this lifestyle, after all you can’t quit your job. But by using a standing desk, you may be able to reverse the associated health problems and enjoy better overall health.
Standing desk is exactly what it says. Sitting on a desk, all hunched over in front of your computer, affects your back, your posture, and also the rest of your body. In fact, this type of sedentary lifestyle has been implicated in the development of heart disease, metabolic disorder, diabetes, and a whole host of other serious and even life-threatening conditions. Working long hours in front of the computers often lead to pain, discomfort and even injuries throughout the body. This has given rise to the idea and the reality of the standing desk. An adjustable workstation will allow you to choose the height of your table so you can stand and work. This will allow you to keep standing for a certain period and then you can sit when you need to. You’re in total control of your working position, unlike traditional desks where you have to sit all the time.
A standing desk is an ergonomic workstation, which includes several attachments to help support your body. This allows you to work in the position that best suits you and makes it comfortable to work. A standing desk is a perfect ideal solution if you work on the computer and spend most of the day sitting down. It is simple to use and can also be adjusted according to your condition and physical fitness. This is particularly important if you have Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) and need to avoid stress. However, with adrenal fatigue, you need to be careful before you decide to use a standing desk. If your condition is very poor, you could end up making it worse. If you notice any adverse symptoms, it is better to discontinue the strategy.
Chronic stress is possibly one of the most serious consequences of modern life. It is far too common for people to feel stressed, not just temporarily, but over the long term. Chronic stress can cause severe health problems and can even be life threatening. The NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response is the mechanism that the body uses to protect you from the damage caused by stress. The stress response causes a myriad of hormonal changes that helps the body to beat the stress. This NEM stress response however, is a short-term solution, which means the system fails if the stress levels are high for a long period.
Your adrenal glands are small organs that are vital to your body’s response to stress. They release the hormone cortisol, that prepares your body to react to the stress. Cortisol affects every organ and circuit in your body. But too much of a good thing is often harmful and this is the case with cortisol as well. When you’re chronically stressed, your adrenals are under constant pressure to release cortisol. These overworked adrenals, increases your blood cortisol level causing imbalances throughout your system. This leads to numerous symptoms that are associated with the condition called adrenal fatigue.
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to any kind of stress. In the case of illness or injury, this can be a very beneficial process. But when you experience chronic stress, inflammation can build up and start causing damage. It can also be a sign that your inflammation circuit is out of balance and needs to be corrected.
The inflammation circuit consists of the immune system, the gut, and the balance of bacteria in your body, known as the microbiome. These three systems are heavily reliant on each other, so when one becomes unbalanced because of AFS, the others start to struggle as well. This can result in the overgrowth of bad bacteria, immune system overwork, and gut issues. One of the keys to correcting imbalances in this circuit is to reduce the sources of inflammation throughout your body and give these three systems the space they need to heal.
Inflammation affects the quality of your life and small changes in your lifestyle can often have a big impact. One of the key changes can be, to stop leading a sedentary lifestyle. A good start would be to swap your usual workstation with a standing desk. Just by standing while you work instead of sitting can have numerous benefits. Here are some of the advantages of making this change and how it will decrease inflammation:
People who sit at a desk all day often experience pain in their lower back, neck, or shoulders. Headaches are also very common among people who sit all day. Using a standing desk can help eliminate this type of pain. A recent study shows that by using a standing desk, pain can be reduced by half. If you have AFS, making this change will lower your overall stress levels and help to reduce the amount of inflammation throughout your body.
When you sit all day, it compresses your back into an awkward position and there is uneven pressure on your spinal discs. The bulk of your weight sits over your tailbone and this combination can cause damage to both your spinal discs as well as the ligaments and tendons. In contrast, a standing desk allows your weight to be equally distributed throughout your body, relieves the pressure on the spinal discs, therefore preventing any of these problems. As a result, you will have reduced strain and not have any long term and debilitating injuries. Inflammation will be lowered as well.
Sitting for an extended period compresses your lungs and diminishes your lung capacity. This may cause difficulty in taking a full breath. Oxygen is the most essential element for the effective functioning of your cells, and without it the result is cell death or poor function. Using a standing desk to do your work will allow your lungs to function at their full capacity, which will help nourish your cells and decrease inflammation.
When you sit all day, blood flow tends to slow down and pool in your legs. This deprives your muscles of much needed oxygen and other nutrients. Your muscles and cells need a steady flow of oxygen and nutrients to operate at their best. Lack of oxygen causes cell damage, releasing toxins into your blood-stream, which leads to inflammation. The poor blood circulation makes it difficult to get rid of the toxins and the inflammation persists. By using a standing desk, you will increase blood and oxygen flow and give your cells a much-needed energy boost.
If you have AFS, then you may struggle to control your weight. Excess weight is a key cause of inflammation. It puts extra stress on all the organs of your body which in turn may be detrimental to your health. When you use a standing desk, you naturally burn more calories because of the increased energy demands. Being active allows a fat busting enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL) to break down fat molecules and remove it from the blood. If you are sedentary for long hours, this enzyme is not activated and fat cells continue to be accumulated. Thus, using a standing desk helps you lose weight by activating the LPL enzyme, that removes fat molecules.
A standing desk may help improve your mood and aid with stress reduction. Sitting up straight instead of being hunched over increases the release of endorphins and encourages relaxation, which will foster a more natural balance in your inflammation circuit.
The health of your brain is linked to the amount of blood flow in the brain. Inactivity reduces blood flow in the brain and affects the brain function as a result. Using a standing desk alleviates this condition by increasing blood flow. The adequate supply of nutrients in the brain helps in improving brain function.
When you sit all day, your digestive system is compressed. This can hamper or slow your digestion and result in problems such as cramps, bloating, and heartburn. These types of problems are very common in people who suffer from AFS and are a key cause of inflammation. If you can avoid these problems by standing regularly when at work, using a standing desk will not only improve your nutrient absorption, it will help reduce inflammation and improve gut health.
If you sit at a desk all day, then swapping it with a standing desk could help you eliminate or avoid many health problems involved with a sedentary lifestyle. It is a simple, small change, but it could be the key to maintaining or recovering your health. This strategy could be beneficial in removing inflammation, if you have AFS. With high levels of stress, it is important to listen to your body and take regular breaks when you use a standing desk. This will help you to avoid lightheadedness, breathlessness and give your body a chance to rest.
If you have a sedentary lifestyle, it can make a big difference to your health if you make the change to a standing desk. Not only will it improve your posture and blood flow, it may also reverse several key health threats such as AFS.
