GRAND RAPIDS, Mich - You've likely heard the saying that "sitting is the new smoking."
According to recent studies, the average American sits 13 hours a day. Being inactive can increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and depression.
This information has led some to choose standing at work, as opposed to sitting. Amy Ritsema from OnSite Wellness in Grand Rapids join 13 ON YOUR SIDE with more on the benefits of a standing desk and the proper way to use it.
Standing more often engages large muscles and burns more calories. If you don’t have access to a standing desk, trying standing when you talk on the phone or while you are meeting with people have a standing meeting.
Tips for proper standing:
- Posture is key.
- Just like bad sitting posture, improper standing can do harm as well. Good posture will alleviate neck and back pain.
- Make sure your monitor Is at eye level so you are not looking up or down?
- Your forearms are parallel to the floor and shoulders are relaxed.
- Are your monitors center or are you looking one direction all the time?
- If monitors are too low, use books or something to raise them higher.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Have an anti-fatigue mat to stand on.
- Vary your position. Stand, sit, walk. This will help with fatigue and poor posture both sitting and standing.
- You don’t need to stand all day. Just like sitting too much you may end up doing harm if you fatigue and use bad posture. Start slow and build up. Ideally try to stand 30 minutes then sit 30 minutes.
- If you can, when you sit use an exercise ball to really work your core!
OnSite Wellness is located on 3020 Charlevoix Dr SE in Grand Rapids. You can learn more about the programs they offer on their website. Just click here.
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