The Secret Service Uses Standing Desks

It sounds like a fad, but it’s more than that, as recent research shows just how bad it is for our bodies to sit for hours a day. It not only slows metabolism but increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, as insulin effectiveness drops with lack of movement. The enzymes responsible for breaking down lipids and triglycerides also plunge, and that causes HDL, the good cholesterol, to fall.

Standing has become a way of working at a number of firms around the country. At the AOL campus in Dulles, Va., a number of accountants, programmers and other workers stand up on the job. Federal workplaces that have purchased standing desks include the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Geological Survey in Washington, D.C.

 

Read more from the Cleveland.com article here. 

Keep Moving at Work

Have you ever been to a concert where you had to stand for a good two hours or so? It hurt your legs, didn’t it? Now – think about a time you went to a concert where you were inclined to move, dance, walk around to visit with friends. Did you have much less leg pain?

One way to keep the standing desk scenario from tuckering you out on a daily basis is to move at your desk. I do it by listening to danceable music.

Currently I’m listening to Girl Talk’s All Day. Download the full Girl Talk All Day Album right here. You’ll have over an hour of danceable music to get yourself started.

I’m making a “Music to Stand to” playlist – what music do you work to? I’d love suggestions for the playlist.

Standing Desk: Ikea

One of my standing desks is from IKEA. Below is the picture of the actual desk. After that is all the info you’ll need to create this exact standing desk for yourself.

The standing desk part is actually an IKEA Leksvik bar table
$129.00

Image Credit: IKEA

And I combine this with a IKEA Franklin bar stool.
$25.00

Photo Credit: IKEA

For added height, these 99 cent vases make great standing desk risers

Why it works
This desk combination provides the best of both worlds. You can rest when you’d like – either by sitting or by putting your feet up on the middle desk bar. When you’re sitting, you can rest your feet on the stool’s bar. And if you decide a standing desk isn’t for you – you’ve got versatile furniture you can use during your next barbecue or game night.