Active office furniture is a fairly new concept. Born from a need to move more and slouch less at work, there are many different types and styles.
But they all serve the same purpose – to increase our activity in the workplace.
So if you spend a lot of time in the office – whether at home or at work – and find yourself desk-bound for the majority of your day, it’s time to find out more about how active office furniture can improve your health and productivity.
We’ll cover the most popular types below, along with the key benefits of keeping yourself on the move.
Types of Active Office Furniture
Active office furniture includes standing desks, standing desk converters, active office seating, balance boards and under desk treadmills. Let’s take a look at each….
Standing Desks
These come in all shapes and sizes and can be fixed height or adjustable.
Fixed height standing desks are taller than the average workstation and pair nicely with adjustable height seating.
Adjustable height desks give you the option to elevate or lower the entire desk. Adjustment can be manual or electric and there are models out there to suit every budget.
The idea behind the standing desk is to get you up and out of your chair. By spending say 30 minutes sitting and then 30 minutes standing throughout the day, you’re giving your body less chance to slow down and slouch.
Take a look at our post on Best Electric Desks Under £300.
Standing Desk Converters
Rather than buy a whole new desk, you could use a desk converter instead. These sit on top of your existing desk and can offer a more affordable solution to increasing your activity if you’re on a tight budget.
But these aren’t necessarily the standing desk’s cheaper cousin. Expect to pay upwards of a grand for a top end model.
As with standing desks, converters come in different shapes, sizes and styles. Again, you can choose manual or electric lift. Options available include X-frame, Z-frame, post and base or desk topper designs.
Portable converters can be particularly useful if you’re on the move a lot, or if you share your time between the home office and work office.
Active Office Seating
One of the key features of active office seating is that it doesn’t allow you to get too comfortable.
Now that may sound like a crazy notion…surely we should be comfortable when we are seated? But when you succumb to the comfort of static seating, the body tends to slouch as the core relaxes, and this in turn can lead to poor posture.
Active seating options include balance ball chairs, kneeling chairs, wobble seats or leaning chairs. Each type encourages micro movements for better posture. This helps to keep the abs working, thereby supporting the torso and keeping the back and shoulders straight.
Different styles are designed for different needs, keeping physical limitations in mind.
Balance Boards
Alternating between sitting and standing is so much better than keeping your seat warm for 8 hours solid.
But standing can bring some negatives of its own to the table. These include physical fatigue plus aches and pains. Standing on a balance board whilst working from your desk can help to alleviate these issues.
Not only will you be keeping your core engaged, you’ll also be gently working the leg muscles in order to find your different points of balance.
So by maintaining these micro movements, you can improve your circulation and increase your oxygen levels. Why not throw in a few flexes and stretches whilst you’re at it to keep your joints and muscles happy as well.
Under Desk Treadmills
You could really take your office activity to another level with an under desk treadmill.
Unlike standard gym treadmills, under desk models are designed for gentle walking. This way – with a little practice – you can crack on with your work, add thousands of steps to your daily total and remain sweat-free in the process.
If you decide to go down this route, there are a number of points to take into consideration – noise levels, horse power, size, portability and of course price.
Even the best budget under desk treadmills will set you back a fair few quid, so do your homework first before you buy. But on the plus side, these walking machines are one of the best ways to increase your activity, improve your health and give your motivation a massive jump start.
Benefits of Active Office Furniture
By keeping yourself on the move throughout the day, you’re giving your body and mind a better chance to perform at their best.
Even small movements can help to improve your circulation, meaning oxygen levels are increased and bodily systems continue to function in the background, rather than going to sleep after a period of inactivity – eg the metabolism.
Keeping the muscles working builds a stronger core which leads to better posture and reduced aches and pains. Energy levels are increased, and you should also notice an improvement in your mood. This helps to keep you motivated and productive.
Other benefits attributed to increased activity in the workplace include lower stress levels and better sleep patterns.
Check out the Mayo Clinic’s tips and suggestions for staying active while working from home.
The Active Office Furniture Takeaway
Do you spend too many of your working hours desk bound and demotivated? Are you feeling the effect of prolonged sitting or slouching around? Are you ready to make some changes – however big or small – to get out of the rut and into the new?
If so, your body needs YOU…and active office furniture could be the way forward.
Introducing more movement to the daily grind and increasing your activity at work can improve your physical health, increase your mental clarity and can even have a noticeable impact on your emotional wellbeing. What’s not to love?
The choices are plenty – from standing desks and desk converters, to wobble chairs, leaning seats, balance boards or even under desk treadmills. Choose the solution that matches your needs and budget, and enjoy the many benefits to health and happiness.
