Originally posted on September 8, 2011 @ 8:59 am
Computing mobility has opened the world up for increased productivity, allowing us to continue work wherever we are. But with every benefit there is also usually a cost, and unfortunately, it’s our health that has gotten the bad end of the deal. With more people stuck behind their computers even when working remotely our general health suffers because of our prolonged sitting to use a computer.
A number of health problems have been associated with long hours sitting down – not just back problems but also health issues with the heart and even cancer. Because of these health concerns there is a growing movement that seeks to change the way people work in the workplace – and that is working while standing.
Standing desks are now becoming more and more popular because it is seen as directly addressing the health concerns created by prolonged sitting. This is even seen in such companies like Google and Facebook where employees are now asking for a standing desk instead of the typical office desk. Studies reveal that there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people who are requesting for a standing desk in the workplace. Responding to these requests in the workplace and providing employees with the modified desks may also be in the best interest of the employers because studies show that standing actually increases productivity. With the standing getting to be more popular, the issue now is how to apply that for people who work using laptops and are working remotely.