When buying a school desk in Australia for your students, you should consider standing desks as they have a lot of benefits.
Standing desks permit students to use them while standing and not just sitting. The concept behind standing desks isn’t new and there are known benefits to working while standing. It has gained popularity beyond the office and now schools are implementing it.
Sitting for long hours has significant negative effects on the body and the mind of the student, or any other individual using the desk. Large companies initially popularised the concept of using standing desks in their workplaces, but now this is seen as also being a great option in schools.
Dangers of sitting
Studies and medical research suggest that there are some health risks of sitting for extended periods. For example, the Mayo Clinic in the USA did research and concluded that more standing results in greater expenditure of energy and this prevents weight gain.
Also, sitting for extended periods can cause several chronic diseases in younger people. Sitting for extended periods results in the accumulation of body fat, especially around the waist. This means that sitting for extended periods leads to obesity. Sitting for longer periods also causes higher cholesterol levels. The effects of sitting too long can also be assessed by the increase in risks of cardiovascular disease and even some cancers later in life.
Sit to stand initiatives
School furniture suppliers are aware of the negative side effects of sitting for too long and they have designed desks that allow students to sit and stand accordingly. Standing leads to the burning of more calories and this reduces obesity rates. Standing also utilises the abdomen and the leg muscles and provides exercise for these. When people stand, they reduce their blood sugar levels. It is also known to reduce the problem of back pain in people.
When one stands, he or she does away with many of the risks associated with bad seated postures. Standing may reduce the risk of heart disease. However, since one can get tired from standing or sitting for too long, it is therefore recommended to switch from standing to sitting and vice versa when in classrooms.
Standing desks promote more engagement in schools
Paediatricians and doctors agree that kids aren’t naturally meant to sit for a long time. Forcing them to sit for the entire day makes them lethargic and this leads to a loss of focus in the classroom. Some schools have switched to stand-up desks to assess the change in behaviour among students.
Standing desks for students allow more freedom of movement in the classroom and students feel more comfortable when using standing desks than using a school desk in Australia that forces them to sit for the entire day. Teachers also concluded that standing desks reduce disruptive behaviour amongst students. This is because they are more focused on their studies when they stand than when they sit for extended periods. Standing desks also help maintain and maximise students’ energy levels.
Written by Kirsty Jones
