You may be thinking that standing desks are just for work and home offices, but what about libraries? The world is becoming aware of all of the standing desk benefits including mental boosts like increased focus and productivity. Because of the brain power benefits, standing desks are popping up everywhere: even in schools. So why not libraries? At the Villanova University School of Law Library, they listened to their patrons and converted two of their carrels into standing desk areas. They explain that based on demand, they will add more standing desks to the library, and they cite the now famous Smithsonian article stating many of the health benefits of a standing desk as their reasoning for the switch. In the article, they list five health benefits when using a standing desk:
- Reduced risk of obesity
- Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
- Reduced risk of cancer
- Lower-long term mortality risk
And besides the physical benefits of a standing desk, there are plenty of mental health benefits that may appeal to someone who is studying in a library:
1. Increased Focus: A study on student standing desks found that children were able to stay on task 12% better when they worked at a standing desk.
2. Increased Productivity: In the same study, they explained that the extra focus resulted in about 7 extra minutes of productive work than if the subjects had been sitting. When you are studying, you know that every minute counts.
3. Higher Test Scores: One recent study even credits student standing desks with 7-14% higher neurocognitive test scores. By hooking the participants up to a brain imaging device, the scientists were able to note an increase in activity in the left prefrontal cortex. Talk about a brain boost.
And to anyone who is studying, researching, or working on their law degree all of these mental boosts are a welcome help. I remember just how crowded my college library was before final exams or the week before term papers were due. Every advantage you could get was welcome, and there are plenty of physical and mental benefits from standing desks. And with more and more schools transitioning to standing desks, it’s only a matter of time before libraries follow their lead and adopt standing desks as well. Until standing desks are in your local library, you can always enjoy the improved mental capabilities at your own standing desk. Take a look at the Xdesk standing desk options to see which style would make your office look the most studious. And when you are setting up your standing desk, we sure to adjust it to be the ergonomically correct height, because long hours of studying in the wrong posture could leave you sore, achy, and more focused on your pain than your upcoming exam.
