Dynamic working with the 'JB DESK 04' sit and stand desk

It has for some time been common knowledge that not exercising enough brings serious health risks.  What is less well known to the general public is that sitting down for long stretches also poses a risk to your health, regardless of whether you get enough exercise or movement.  In a society where we are increasingly sitting down for long periods, both at work and at home, this is a problem that calls for attention from policy makers, employers, employees and professionals in prevention and care. Sitting down is the new smoking.

Our work in particular, which formerly made a significant contribution to how much exercise we got, has now in many sectors become a source of “exercise poverty”.  In the long term this has costs both in terms of health care and of having less fit and motivated staff. 

To reduce sitting for long periods, there should be short periods of movement that make use of leg muscles.  A first step in understanding better how to deal with our working time is to incorporate enough ‘sit-stops’.  Try to stand upright at least once every half an hour.

As well as this simple procedure we can also adjust behaviour in our work setting by trying to hold meetings standing up, setting up coffee corners with high tables, encouraging the use of stairs, using the second nearest printer and placing waste paper baskets in the furthest corner of the office.

Beddeleem offers ways to take this concept further including the SIT-STAND table range named ‘JB DESK 04’.  These tables meet standard EN 527-1, which primarily means that the user can adjust the height of the working surface between 650 mm and 1250 mm. This makes it possible to work both sitting and standing using the same desk.  The height can be changed at the press of a button (electric adjustment).

The JB DESK 04 program is available in both single and double versions. A range of cable management options suitable for SIT-STAND applications is available.