Height-adjustable work surfaces are all the rage these days, showing up in collaborative spaces, university offices, and corporate facilities. What’s behind this trend and what should you know about it?
Our Bodies were Made for Movement
From hunter/gatherer societies thousands of years ago, right up to the late 19th Century, if you didn’t move, you didn’t survive. Then the industrial and technological revolutions came along and changed everything.
Many of us spend endless hours sitting at a desk, complaining of fatigue, pain in our backs, necks, shoulders, and wrists. Meanwhile, medical research indicates a connection between a sedentary life style and health concerns including high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease, and even cancer. As the cost of health care rises, and the value of engaged and productive employees becomes more apparent, it is not surprising that companies are giving serious attention to the axiom, “Sitting is the New Smoking.”
Better Health = Better Performance
Medical professionals recommend office workers change position by standing for 5-20 minutes each hour. Movement helps to decrease the discomfort directly linked to our productivity and health.
Height-adjustable work surfaces make perfect sense. A height-adjustable work surface allows your employee to change position throughout the day without taking their computer and all of their work to a new location – saving time and eliminating interruptions in the work flow. Multiple manufacturers provide desks whose heights can be adjusted with the push of a button or squeeze of a paddle.
Things to Consider First
Before you invest in height-adjustable work surfaces for your staff, consider these points:
• Standing all day is not the cure for sitting all day. Alternating between the two is the best solution.
• Will height-adjustable work surfaces “work” in your current environment?
• While phone calls and email reviews can be done standing, it may be more productive to do focused work such as developing a strategy or crunching numbers while seated.
Help your employees adjust by providing training on the basics of adjusting their work surface, but also on the benefits of moving and changing postures.
Training employees on these considerations multiplies the benefits of a height adjustable work surface.
Other Ways to Encourage Movement
• Short breaks/walks
• Walking to have a personal conversation rather than a phone call
• Take the stairs
• A standing or walking meeting for short sessions
Summary
Your employees are your company’s most valuable asset. Adding-height adjustable work surfaces can improve their health, happiness, and productivity, which benefits your bottom line.
