BENGALURU: For long-distance cyclist and runner Abhishek Ramesh, sitting is like the next smoking. After making a one-and-a-half-hour long commute to work each day, Ramesh finds that standing while working helps create better posture for his back and neck.
Luckily, all the desks in the company he works at – NetApp – are height-adjustable and can be operated at the click of a button. Calling it an ‘exciting’ option, the senior program manager says, “The ability to toggle between a sitting and standing posture at the touch of a button makes work interesting. Then there are times when you need to stand to discuss or collaborate with your colleagues and having this option right at my desk is great.”
Ramesh isn’t the one who is turning towards standing instead of sitting down behind a desk at work. Companies and co-working spaces in Bengaluru too are slowly realising that adapting this global trend might help their employees lead healthier lifestyles.
According to Pankaj Rai, Senior Vice President Strategy at Wells Fargo, the main trigger to introduce these desks in May this year was employee feedback about issues with bad posture or back pain. The company currently has 100 such desks across their three office sin Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru.
And these desks helped finance professional Amit Todi maintain a healthier body and mind after the lethargy and back pain he experienced from sitting at a desk for long hours. “Moving about is good but sometimes, moving away from your work isn’t always possible,” says the vice president of finance at Wells Fargo. “The height adjustable workstation is my detox. It lets me get the necessary movement and blood circulation while I continue to focus on my work.”
The design concept also comes as a boon to those who spend hours stuck in Bengaluru traffic every day. Todi’s colleague Kothanda D, a regional property manager, spends two hours commuting to work via bike and finds that having the flexibility of starting work in a standing posture gives his body the time to recuperate from “the blows dealt by the Bengaluru traffic and potholes.”
Wellness benefits aside, both companies and employees are also turning to this concept to foster productivity and positive ideation. While both NetApp and Wells Fargo have their standing desks at their work station, co-working space 315Work Avenue chose to have the concept (a long-communal desk as opposed to individual units) placed near common/lounge areas, breakout zones and against the glass façade for an exterior view.
Manas Mehrotra, chairman of the co-working company, uses the option to brainstorm with his peers or to envisage concepts. He explains, “At the workstation level there could be sheer amount of lethargy resulting in a dip of energy and enthusiasm. Additionally, it creates a hurdle for people movement provoking clumsiness if placed at workstation levels. Today’s workforce need an unconventional setup for hustling, brainstorming and giving birth to innovation.”
Expert speak
Dr PR Krishnan, who attends to complaints of back pain from at least 10-15 working professionals a month, believes that standing desks can reduce upper back and neck pain by 30 to 50 per cent in over four weeks. However, some precautions need to be followed. “A sudden change from sitting all day to standing all day can increase the risk of developing back, leg or foot pain. It’s better to go slow; start with 30 to 60 minutes a day and gradually increase it,” says the consultant neurologist, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road. Additionally, maintaining the right posture and varying the standing position is also important. “One must also remember to stretch a few times a day, and alternate between sitting, standing and walking,” he adds.