5 reasons to try a standing desk

Sitting is the new smoking
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In offices across the country, sitting is the new smoking. Here’s why workers are shunning ergonomic chairs in favor of standing desks:

  • Illustration by Jameson Simpson
    Illustration by Jameson Simpson

    Americans sit more than eight hours a day on average.

  • Standing instead of sitting in a classroom improved students’ test scores by 20%.
  • Changing to a standing desk burns an extra 500 to 1,000 calories daily.
  • Standing three hours a day for one year is equal to running 10 marathons.
  • People who spend the bulk of their day sitting have a 24% greater risk of colon cancer, a 32% higher risk of endometrial cancer, and a 21% increased risk of lung cancer.*

*Time Magazine and BBC

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This article originally appeared in our 2015 Health issue.

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