Sitting for prolonged periods of time is destroying our health. Too much sitting causes organ damage that increases our risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and colon cancer. Sitting for too long also causes brain fog because not enough blood and oxygen flow to the brain. In addition, sitting improperly for any length of time causes poor posture, poor flexibility and poor mobility, all of which leads to back pain. Back pain costs US employers some $7.4 billion dollars a year due to lost productive time.

If sitting is so bad, is standing any better? Researchers at Texas A&M University showed “users of stand-capable desks were 45% more productive than their seated counterparts.” However, Alan Hedge of Cornell University reports that standing for too long is overall more tiring than sitting. Prolonged standing increases the risks of carotid atherosclerosis, varicose veins and poor posture. Poor posture leads to back pain and all the costs associated with that.

Too much sitting is killing us, but so is too much standing still. The World Health Organization identifies physical inactivity as “the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality.” Sitting or standing isn’t the answer. We need to sit and stand–properly. We need to move from sitting to standing and back throughout the day to keep us healthy and productive.

To help your employees sit and stand properly, you need good desks and desk chairs. At Beirman Furniture, we offer height-adjustable tables, computer carts, and sit-stand desktop workstations to replace your employee desks. We also offer sit-stand desk mounts to augment your existing desks. These products allow you to quickly and easily alternate between sitting and standing throughout the work day.

When you are sitting, ensure you are sitting properly with one of our ergonomic office chairs that you can adjust to provide proper lumbar support and seat and armrest height.

Your comfort is just as important as your proper sitting and standing posture. To ensure you will enjoy our products, we offer a “try before you buy” program where you can try up to six of our products for 24 hours in your office.

Ergonomically efficient office equipment not only preserves the health and productivity of your employees, it also makes fiscal sense by reducing employee absenteeism and the possibility of workers compensation claims. Contact Beirman Furniture now for your free Ergonomics Assessment.