Photo by Green Chameleon
Numerous studies and articles indicate that sitting for prolonged periods can negatively impact the modern day worker. Sitting at a desk for hours at a time leads to increased stress on the spine, which contributes to increased back pain. From our experience offering on-site massage in a variety of locations (offices, manufacturing facilities, and retail operations), we have found that many workers are sitting for much longer periods than their bodies can handle, and suffer from aches and pains because of it.
I recently read that workers on average sit for MORE than six hours per day. Wow! Many are encouraged to take walks and frequent breaks to combat the prolonged sitting, which is great and effective in theory, but in reality, employees are not always able to prioritize these breaks and walks when facing deadlines and increasing workloads.
Fortunately, times are a-changin’ with standing desks, which are becoming more widely used and of interest in many offices. What is a standing desk? A standing desk is a desk that adjusts in height, and can shift seamlessly between sitting and standing working heights, which helps workers to improve posture and alleviate back pain and tension. There are many benefits of using a standing desk as an alternative to a regular desk, including increased flexibility, movement, energy, and focus.
A few clients I have spoken to that made the switch to standing desks report reduced back pain, increased energy levels, more flexibility, and more control over their office environment.
There are a few considerations for switching to a 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 cause less stress on your joints than standing directly on hard surfaces.
- Make sure to adjust your screen and keyboard settings so that the screen at eye level for easy use and provides for an optimal neck position.
Another way to combat the negative effects of prolonged sitting is 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 similar to those derived from using a standing desk, including decreased pain, tension, and stress, as well as increased flexibility, energy, productivity, and relaxation.
Maryland-based Corporate Massage Kneads is your PREMIER on-site chair massage company in Maryland with both employee or employer-paid options.
Let us do all the work and give your staff a stress relieving change of pace with corporate chair massage! Our clients comment that working with Corporate Massage Kneads allows for easy scheduling and a turnkey operation and wellness program. You can easily read our testimonials here!
Contact me, Janet Constantino, when your company is READY to schedule your WELLNESS program by offering chair massage in your corporate office or other preferred location!
