Health Benefits of Frequent Posture Changes in the Workplace: At Home or On-Site

The science supporting the health benefits of frequently changing posture in the workplace is well documented.^1,2 A standard credo of ergonomic professionals is “Your Next Posture is Your Best Posture.” Let’s take a look at how postural change can potentially impact an employee’s health.

Reducing Static Muscle Tension

When we are in postures that are non-neutral, the skeletal muscles must increase the amount of contraction to support the abnormal posture and/or movement. This higher level of contraction leads to a faster rate of muscle fatigue. Since blood flow is typically restricted to these muscles due to the poor posture, excessive soreness will result, and if this continues for a long period of time this can develop into chronic pain. Changes in posture or microbreaks allow for recovery via increased blood flow to the area.

Better Breathing

When sitting in a slouched position, we typically adopt a chest breathing strategy which primarily engages just the upper 1/3 of the lung and is far less efficient, resulting in less oxygen for the tissues, organs and brain. This may result in fatigue, increased respiration and a higher pulse rate. Chest breathing also taxes the postural muscles of the ribs, upper back and chest which can quickly fatigue. Over time, fatigue leads to abnormal muscle tension which leads to insufficient blood flow and eventually trigger points, which result in chronic pain and irritation.⁴

By altering our posture to be more erect thru supported sitting or standing, one can engage the diaphragm muscle more efficiently for a more proper belly (or diaphragm) breathing technique. Diaphragmatic breathing increases blood oxygen levels substantially by allowing for deeper breaths where oxygen exchange is 5-7X more efficient than in the lower aspects of the lung⁵. Greater blood oxygen levels lead to less pain, more energy and better overall health.

Post-meal standing/walking

Standing/movement immediately after meals can reduce blood glucose levels by up to 50%⁶. The simple act of standing for 15-20 minutes after arriving at the office and after lunch may be an effective strategy for reducing blood sugars in at-risk employees. Each percentage point decrease in A1c (average blood sugar) reduces the risk of eye, kidney, and nerve diseases by 40%⁷.

Lower Extremity and Core Muscle Engagement

Contraction of the postural muscles that occurs during transition from sitting to standing releases Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL) enzyme which facilitates the breakdown of triglycerides (fats) and increases in HDL cholesterol (ie “the good cholesterol”). LPL levels decrease significantly after just one day of inactivity.⁸ Control of cholesterol levels can reduce cardiovascular complications by 20–50%⁹. The health benefit of frequent sit to stand transition has been well documented by Vernikos¹⁰. Additionally, contraction of the lower extremity muscles stimulated by active standing coupled with foot contact forces has been shown to increase blood flow wave action to the brain¹¹.

Active Standing

Non-Exercise Activity-based Thermogenesis, aka “NEAT”, is a concept described by Levine et al¹². On average, active standing burns 0.7-0.8 calories extra per minute¹³. It has been shown that non-obese individuals have higher levels of NEAT in their lives¹⁴. Incorporating just 30 min of NEAT activity into the workday can reduce the risk of developing various disease states including cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.¹⁵ It is important to understand that standing, like sitting, can also become a sedentary activity. Frequently change your posture and listen to your body. It will tell you when it’s time to change.

Relaxing Hip Flexor Tightness

Excessive sitting leads to chronically shortened hip flexor muscles which can create low back pain (LBP) by excessively rotating the pelvis. Hip flexor tightness may also significantly impact stress levels in the body. The hip flexor is a “Fight or Flight” muscle group, with a direct link to the amygdala of the brain. As a result, tight hip flexors can lead to increased release of the stress hormone cortisol¹⁶. Excessive cortisol levels can affect an individual’s mental health¹⁷. The presence of cortisol has also been shown to inhibit insulin function in the body¹⁸, the substance necessary for processing sugars in the bloodstream, thereby leading to excess fat storage and possibly diabetes.

Reducing Spinal Disc Compression i.e Back Pain

Standing upright significantly reduces compressive forces in the spine. For comparison sake, compressive forces when seated in the traditional 90-90-90 “ergonomic” position are about 40% higher than standing.¹⁹ When seated in the forward hunch position commonly seen with computer use, the forces are about 70% higher than standing.²⁰ For individuals with Low Back Pain (LBP), which is reportedly 11% of the population,²¹ providing proper ergonomics including Sit-Stand capability with the ability to change posture, resulted in a significant reduction in pain levels. ²²

Engaging the Core Muscles for Mental Health

There is now compelling evidence that engagement of the core muscles thru adopting a more erect posture (ie no slouching) has a direct impact on mental health and depression.  Both Fairbend²³ and Strick et al ²⁴ have recently published about the role of posture and active stretching can have on mental health.

Reducing the Risk of DVT, VTE

A recent article in USA Today²⁵ quoted both Dr Zhaoping Li from UCLA and Dr. Mary Fishman from University of Vermont about the dangers of inactivity in this time of “Stay at Home” lockdown resulting from Covid 19. Risks of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Venous Thromboembolism are significantly higher when sedentary postures are maintained and little to no movement is taking place.

An Easy, Economical Solution

Working From Home during Covid19 lockdown  has resulted in the creation of makeshift offices on sofas, kitchen counters and the dining room table. Standard corporate locations are also fraught with stationary worktops positioned at 29.5” high, ill-suited to fit the majority of employees. To ensure maximum health, it is imperative to provide the employee tools that facilitate postural change over the course of the workday. Increased comfort leads to fewer ergonomic claims and higher levels of productivity. Sit-stand desks, when properly deployed with training and reminder software have been shown to be an effective mitigation against static postures,^26-28. while not sacrificing productivity.