Remember when everyone was talking about standing desks? They were hailed as a calorie burner, a cure for obesity, an instant energizer. Now that many office workers have had a few years to use them, there is more evidence available as to whether they’re really so fantastic.

Researchers from Tufts University’s Office Ergonomics Committee conducted a review of 53 studies that have been done on sit-stand desks — specifically, those that are designed to change heights. They analyzed the desks’ effects on six categories: behavior (e.g. time spent sitting and standing), physiological, work performance, psychological, discomfort, and posture.

What they found is that sit-stand desks are most effective at relieving physical discomfort. Study co-author April Chambers, a bioengineering professor at the University of Pittsburgh, said, “We saw consistently across the studies an improvement in discomfort and pain as people use the desks. And this was found not only in people who, for example, experienced lower back pain, but also in adults with obesity and in healthy populations as well.”

Sit-stand desks performed ambiguously when it came to boosting attentiveness and productivity. Chambers said, “They don’t make you more alert, but they don’t make you less alert,” and they don’t have “any negative effects on work performance.” In terms of physical health, no improvements to blood pressure were detected, nor weight loss through standing.

Where sit-stand desks excel is in encouraging a user to move, because that’s what the human body really needs. Whether it’s shifting from foot to foot while standing or changing between sit-stand positions throughout the day, it’s important to avoid being still and sedentary for prolonged periods of time. The researchers offer the following advice for using sit-stand desks most effectively:

1. Change positions frequently. Make a point of switching between sitting and standing every half hour.

2. Use good posture. Stand with legs under hips or sit with knees at a 90-degree angle for optimal posture.

3. Use an anti-fatigue mat under your feet. This can reduce lower back and leg pain.

4. Stand after eating lunch. It encourages you to move a bit more, which will help with digestion and burning calories.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【神奇的】shénqí de fantastic extraordinarily good

【人体工学】réntǐ gōngxué ergonomics an applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely

还记得大家一度对这种站立式办公桌津津乐道吗？据称这种桌子能燃烧卡路里、治疗肥胖，还能瞬间激发活力。如今不少白领都用了几年，这种桌子是否真的这么神奇也就有据可查了。

来自塔夫茨大学办公室人体工程学委员会的研究人员对53项坐立两用桌相关研究进行了回顾，尤其是那些可升降办公桌的相关研究。他们从6大类分析了桌子的效果：行为（比如坐和站的时间）、生理、工作表现、心理、不适和姿势。

研究人员发现，坐立两用桌最大的用途就是缓解身体的不适。该研究的合著者、匹兹堡大学的生物工程学教授艾普利尔●钱伯斯说：“各项研究均显示，人们使用这种桌子可以缓解不适和疼痛。不但对腰疼的人有效，对肥胖和健康人群也有效。”

至于坐立两用桌能否提高注意力和工作效率，效果存疑。钱伯斯说：“这种桌子不会让你更警觉，但也不会让你的敏锐度降低。”而且，坐立两用桌不会“对工作表现产生任何负面影响”。在身体健康方面，没有察觉到这种桌子能改善血压或通过站立来减肥。

坐立两用桌的优势在于，它鼓励使用者动起来，因为这正是人体所需要的。无论是在站立时将重心从一只脚换到另一只脚，还是在一天当中交替着坐和站，避免长时间地静止不动是很重要的。研究人员提出了以下建议，帮助人们有效使用坐立两用桌：

√频繁地变换姿势。每半个小时坐站轮换。

√采用良好的姿势。站立时双腿挺直，最佳的坐姿是把膝盖弯曲成90度。

√在脚下放置抗疲劳垫来减轻腿背疼痛。

√午饭后站立。这会鼓励你多动一点，有助于消化和燃烧卡路里。

(chinadaily.com.cn)