New Problems in the Work Place

According to Professor Steve Bevan, who is the director of the Centre for Workforce Effectiveness at the Work Foundation, "sitting is the new smoking."

The move away from heavy manual labour into a safer office environment has helped the nation's workforce enjoy better health, as many ailments that were common in the past are now suffered by far fewer people.

The downside is that new problems have arisen, in many cases due to the new working environments found in sedentary occupations. The main change is that today more people than ever are spending the majority of their working hours sitting in front of a computer screen.

"The more sedentary you are the worse it is for your health. Allowing people to move around and take breaks is essential," Professor Bevan recently told the BBC.

In fact a study from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that almost 31 million working days were lost during 2013 due to back, neck and muscle problems.

While likening the problems of sitting down for too long to those caused by the tobacco industry might be an attempt at a headline grabbing soundbite, many people are putting themselves at risk of a range of health issue in the course of their work.

As new problems become recognised as real phenomena, innovative solutions need to be found. One of the most exciting ideas that is already revolutionising the workplace is the standing desk.

For quite a while medical advice has been given to take regular breaks from sitting down and to walk around the office, but some schedules or intensive work activities simply make it all too easy to forget to do so.

By using a height adjustable desk everyone can benefit from a posture that alleviates and prevents back pain and other conditions, whilst also promoting good blood pressure and circulation wellbeing along with many other health issues.