Benefits of standing: Three reasons physical therapists recommend you stand more

What comes to your mind when you think about someone working hard? For many people, it is likely an image of someone sitting at a desk pounding away at a keyboard. This image has become so ingrained in us that we often think of people who are idle as “just standing around.” However, medical professionals such as physical therapists are now trying to change our perception of standing. Why? One reason is that medical studies show that more than 70% of people sit for more than eight hours per day or are completely inactive. Another reason is that there are many benefits of standing. A physical therapist can help you understand some of the benefits of standing, and they can help you find ways to stand up more throughout the day, too. 

Three benefits of standing that have your physical therapist urging you to stand up more

1. Helping you live longer — That’s right. Medical studies have recently found that sitting less and standing more can lead to a longer life. One study reports that sitting for just three hours less every day can lead to a two-year increase in life expectancy on average. 

2. Decreasing back and neck pain — Back and neck pain are the bane of many sedentary workers, but standing can help reduce both of these types of pain. One study that had office workers stand more reveals that doing so helped reduce neck and upper back pain by 54% in just four weeks. Standing may also help you avoid injuries when doing other activities like running. 

3. Helping you shed a few pounds — Many people are always on the lookout for new ways to shed a few pounds. One of the benefits of standing is that it can help you do just that. A workplace study found that workers who stood for about three hours in the afternoon burned 174 more calories than those who didn’t. Medical experts report that burning between 500 and 1,000 more calories per week can help you drop about one pound per week. This is easily accomplished by eating better and standing for three hours every workday. 

Find out more about the benefits of standing at Back in Motion

Eager to find out more about the benefits of standing? Our team at Back in Motion Physical Therapy is primed to help you learn how standing more can improve your health and injury recovery. For instance, our physical therapists may recommend adding more standing to your day to help certain injuries or chronic conditions. This recommendation could be part of a personalized physical therapy plan that may also include: 

• Therapeutic exercises.
• Manual therapy. 
• A functional capacity evaluation. 

Contact us today for more information about all the issues we can help you address or to schedule an initial appointment.