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Why Standing Comfort Requires a Footrest

Why a Footrest?

Have you ever wondered why most restaurant bars have a footrest? It’s simple really. They know a footrest improves standing comfort allowing customers to stand, and buy, longer periods of time! That’s why a footrest is needed for standing comfort – at the bar, work or school!

Standing Benefits

All our standing desk options include a footrest or foot prop. It’s not an arbitrary design feature! We’ve all heard of the benefits of standing for adults and children:

Standing burns more calories than remaining seated
Standing allows us to expend energy, especially children and teens or those with ADHD
Standing improves circulation getting more blood flowing and oxygen to the brain, helping to decrease depression
The list goes on!

Footrest Benefits

However, many standing desks on the market lack a key detail – a footrest. The footrest is the key to longer, more comfortable standing times. What can a simple footrest possibly do?

The footrest allows users to rest from side to side while continuing to stand and reap the benefits
A dual height, dual depth footrest (like the Classic design) not only provides a rest while standing but also provides an ergonomic place for feet while sitting. The footrest positions the foot in front of the knees improving flood blood. Most stools have a ring for feet placement, but this position cuts off blood flow.
The footrest also allows a place to stretch the back of the legs while standing or sitting.
Another key benefit is propping the foot relieves press off the lower spine and aligns the tailbone. Again, improving standing comfort.

Pain is Likely the Lack of a Footrest

If you’re not already a standing worker or student, it’s probably because you’ve heard some people complain about back pain. They have back pain, because they don’t have a footrest allowing their body to rest side to side and creating an ergonomic posture. Some people may try to immediately stand for 4 hours. Our bodies are a designed to move but if you haven’t been moving a lot lately, you’ll need to build up your standing time.

Sit to Stand Transition with a Footrest is Key

There’s no one right answer for everyone but standing provides an opportunity to increase movement, create a healthy body and mindset. Transitioning from sitting to standing throughout the day is the key to a happy, healthy body and lifestyle. And a footrest is a vital feature to create ergonomic, standing comfort.

December 29, 2019/by Michele Klumb

The Fight Against Childhood Obesity

Smart Blog

Public Health Concern

Obesity is the number one health concern for children. Obesity is determined by a child’s body mass index. It is defined as having a BMI above the 95^th percentile for children and teens of the same age or sex. With a prevalence of 13.7 million children and adolescents affected, childhood obesity is a serious issue requiring urgent attention. Obesity rates are the highest in children ages 12 to 19-year olds. At this age, children learn and build habits they carry with them into their adult lives. Obese children are 75% more likely to be obese adults. Facing lifelong challenges such being at a higher risk for chronic health conditions, low self-esteem, and isolation from peers.

School’s Back in Session

Children spend roughly 1,290 hours of their year in school. This equals 14% of their entire year and 22% of their awake time. The best way to improve physical activity in order to lower childhood obesity is to start with a change in the classroom. Whether children are home schooled, attend private school, or attend public school, they will benefit from simple changes that will improve their health.

Many school interventions only aim toward reducing calorie intake and are nutritional based. School day physical activity has decreased considerably to focus on improving standardized test scores. Students, however, are not immune to this change and suffer consequences of an inactive environment. Physical inactivity leads to weight gain, an increased risk for diseases, and a decrease in classroom engagement and productivity.

What Can Be Done to Help Decrease and Prevent Childhood Obesity?

Though childhood obesity is a growing concern, it is not an irreversible issue that can’t be improved with simple lifestyle changes.

Changes can be made at home.

As a parent or guardian, there are many ways to either prevent or decrease obesity in the lives of your children! The CDC recommends the following:

Encourage a healthier, more balanced diet
Reduce sedentary time
Add physical activity to their daily routine

One of the best things a parent can do for your child’s nutrition is to make sure their meals are balanced and rich in healthy foods. Include plenty of fruits, vegetables, dairy, lean meat, and water into their daily eating habits. Avoid consumption of foods and beverages high in sugar and fat. Another simple change is to incorporate physical activity into their after-school routine. Whether it’s going for a walk, throwing a ball outside, or playing tag, make sure to turn off the screens and encourage them to choose an activity that gets them moving!

Changes that can be made in schools.

Changes can also occur in the school setting to promote and increase physical activity:

Incorporate standing desks into the back row of the classroom
Integrate 5-minute movement breaks between lessons
Increase PE or Recess by 10 minutes to allow for more movement

An increase in physical activity in the classroom leads to improvement in engagement, cognition, productivity, and the overall health and well-being of children. Though childhood obesity isn’t a problem that will be solved overnight, it’s prevalence can be reduced significantly if the community, schools, and parents come together to provide a healthier environment for their children!

September 17, 2019/by Michele Klumb

How Movement Breaks Can Increase Focus in the Workplace

Smart Blog

It’s hard to stay 100% focused at work all the time. Especially when you hit that 2:00 pm slump and the day seems like it’s dragging on. Most people will just grab a coffee, energy drink, or sugary snack to keep them going. But what if there was a healthier and easier solution to this problem?

Increase Your Focus with Movement

A study done on increased productivity over a 6-month period at a call center showed that the employees spent up to 90% of their day sitting at their desks. Even if you don’t work at a call center, this statistic might mirror your day at work. This type of sedentary lifestyle is becoming more socially acceptable in the workplace. Of course, the easiest solution to this is to take a break to exercise. However, not everyone works at a huge company with an on-site gym.

Another alternative to this is to stand while you work. This is proven to be the most effective way to improve memory, focus, and your overall health while working. Research shows that standing desks can also improve your cognitive skills and that physical activity has substantial preventable and restorative properties for cognition and brain function. This includes adults and children. By using a standing desk, or by taking a movement break in your day, you can improve the way you work, your focus and performance.

What does “Movement Break” mean?

These are pretty much exactly what they sound like – a quick break in the workday to incorporate easy body movement. Stop reaching for blood pressure spiking caffeinated drinks or super sugary snacks to give you energy. Instead consider movement your new mid-day energizer. If you’re wondering how to incorporate these breaks without disrupting your productivity here are some tips.

Use your lunch break

Your lunch break can sometimes be the only moment you are away from your desk. After you eat, use the rest of your time to take a quick walk around the office. Even better, step outside to walk around the block. If you find yourself getting tired or distracted after lunch, take 5-10 minutes to stroll around the office. This can help revitalize your mind and give you a much-needed energy boost. If you think this won’t help you, consult famous authors. Henry David Thoreau, J.K Rowling, and Kurt Vonnegut are and were all known to take walks and exercise to stimulate their thoughts.

Stand Instead of Sit

Let’s say that you don’t have any extra time during the day. A way to work and move at the same time is to stand! Standing is a great substitution for physical movement as it will get your blood flowing and your mind out of the gutter. Movement is important in our lives as it keeps us focused, invigorated, and healthy.

Look for Movement Opportunities

There are opportunities for movement all around us. Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator, walk over to your colleague’s desk instead of sending an email, or you could even have “walking meetings” with your team to create a movement based community in your office. Remove the trash can from your office space so you have to walk to toss things away. Have two restroom locations? Choose the one farthest away. If you look for these opportunities you can move all day, improving your focus as you go.

As you go through your workday, keep track of how you feel. If you’re feeling unfocused, tired, or unmotivated, find a way to take a movement break. Soon you’ll see how movement can positively affect your well-being in the workplace!

August 1, 2019/by Michele Klumb