To sit or to stand, that is the question

July 16, 2019   |   Evidence in Integrative Healthcare

If ‘sitting is the new smoking’, should sit-stand desks (SSD) become the cure? A recent study in Applied Ergonomics highlighted in this ScienceDaily story discuss the ups and downs of the evidence gathered from 53 studies. There has been a lot of research on this topic on the last few years but there is still much to learn. This review examined the effects of SSD’s on the following areas: behavior, physiological, work performance, psychological, discomfort, and posture. According to study collaborator Dr. Nancy Baker, “The study found only minimal impact on any of those areas, the strongest being changes in behavior and discomfort.” The University of Pittsburgh’s Dr. April Chambers concluded the following about SSD’s, “The science is catching up so let’s use what we’ve studied in this area to advance the research and answer some of these pressing questions so that people can use sit-stand desks correctly and get the most benefit from them.”