Should Students Be Using Standing Desks?

Standing desks have become the latest design trend in offices and workplaces around the world because of their noted health benefits and the significant improvements in work quality. This has led leading experts to raise the question: Would students benefit from standing desks in the classroom?

Standing desks have been shown to provide physical health benefits, as well as mental health benefits. In this article, we will discuss the benefits standing school desks may have for students, and why this trend could be the next big shift in classroom furniture.

Benefits of Standing Desks for Students

In the world of modern technology, the amount of time students spend being physically active is rapidly decreasing. Although multiple studies have shown the benefits of reducing time children spent sitting, young students currently spend over 60% of their day sitting down. This makes the physical and mental health benefits of a standing desk even more imperative.

Though this research is still early, it is clear to see that the benefits for students are like those we see for office workers. These benefits can be broken into the categories of physical and mental health.

Using Standing Desks Offers Students Physical Health Benefits

It has been shown that grade-school children’s physical activity drastically drops once school starts every year. However, for students who had access to standing desks, this drop decreased slightly.

Research shows that standing desks also provide unforeseen physical health benefits like improved eyesight and healthier muscles. Students who used standing desks showed no signs of feeling tired and had a significant increase in self-control over disruptive behaviors in the classroom.

Related: How to Use a Standing Desk the Right Way

Prolonged Sitting Is Dangerous for Student Health

Traditional seated desks do not provide the opportunity to move around, which can lead to potential long-term health issues. Prolonged sitting is linked to health risks like obesity, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, back paid, and abnormal cholesterol levels. Overall, sitting for long periods can increase risk for diseases like cancer and diabetes, as well as increase your risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

The use of standing desks decreases chances of developing many of the diseases associated with long periods of sitting. By giving students standing desks at school, they can develop healthier habits and get ahead of diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

Standing Desks Offer Increased Focus and Other Mental Health Benefits

Studies have shown that standing desks also provide an increase in elementary school students’ attention during class. Why? Standing increases blood flow, which improves overall focus and mood. Standing desks have also been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, which is key for promoting a productive and positive classroom environment.

Additionally, standing desks can offer neurodivergent students the tools they need to thrive in a classroom setting. For example, for students with ADHD, standing desks can be a major relief and helps them to learn while moving slightly, rather than channeling excess energy into otherwise distracting activities.

Older students would benefit from using standing desks as well. Standing desks among high school and university students make classrooms more flexible, encouraging collaboration and engagement.

In the future, we anticipate standing desks becoming incorporated into classrooms, home learning setups, and even libraries to increase productivity in higher education learning. Increased engagement and reduced stress can be extremely helpful for university students with high volumes of difficult educational materials.

The Zen of Standing School Desks

At ZGO Solutions, we design, engineer, and build our desking solutions with Zen principles in mind. We also believe it’s important to bring these principles into the office and classroom alike. If office workers benefit from the flexibility of standing desks, why not their children, too?

Zen principles focus on simplicity and flexibility, which allows students to be free from distractions while working with teachers to find how they learn best, even if that’s not the traditional method.

Zen also encourages being present and building community. This translates to higher classroom engagement and stronger social skills among students. Working collaboratively helps students learn through peer communication and increases their interest in their schoolwork.

RELATED: Use Zen Principles to Make Your Workplace More Flexible

ZGO Solutions: Your Source for Standing Desk Solutions

At ZGO Solutions, we believe that everyone can benefit from making the switch to a standing desk. That is why we offer height adjustable sit-stand desks and other add-ons that help you work more comfortably and efficiently. If you’d like to explore our Zen desk line or our new eZGO series of desks, please call your local ZGO Solutions office or complete the contact us form on our website.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

References

Edward, L. What are the risks of sitting too much? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. (2018, Feburaru 26). Taking a stand helps students. Milwaukee, WI: UWM Report. https://uwm.edu/news/using-standing-desks-in-schools/

Aron, S, Natalie, P, Stacy, C. (2016, June 3). The effects of standing desks within the school classroom: A systematic review. Prev Med Rep doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.03.016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4929187/

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.