MoveMore Blog

In the years since we started investigating sedentary behavior, Ergotron has supported independent research with our WorkFit or LearnFit products as the primary intervention. Breaking up sitting time with our sit-stand desks has proven to be beneficial in every one of the over 20 completed studies.

The ATTAIN pilot study of this series (see parts 1 & 2) was no exception. LearnFit adjustable standing desks improved outcomes at a Minneapolis work-experience lab where students with special needs receive training in computer skills.

In this video, I interview Bruce Holder of the ATTAIN Technology Lab about the lab’s experience with these alternative workstations.

It’s astounding that something as simple as standing could make such a notable improvement in a classroom. And we might never have known it without this small, unique pilot study. What’s the mechanism that allows a sit-stand desk to boost a student’s ability to perform and behave and what are the implications for adults?

The answer lies in the way that bones, blood, and brain function in concert. As Bruce explains in the video, all teenagers have a lot of energy and need to move around. Changing positions also helped students reduce boredom and stay engaged in routine, repetitious activities.

This is what we know so far about breaking up prolonged sitting:

1. Sitting time decreases,

2. Positive mood states elevate,

3. Back pain is either reduced or eradicated,

4. HDL (high density lipoprotein cholesterol) increases,

5. Blood sugar drops,

6. Concentration improves,

7. Triglycerides fall.

Our bodies, brain included, depend on movement. When we don’t move, our metabolism slows to a stop, with major repercussions for every other system of your body. Move it or lose it. That’s the bottom line.

Tags: ATTAIN, students, research

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