Stand Up to Protect Your Brain

Do you spend a large portion of the day sitting? If so, you could be hurting your brain health.

We don't mean to sound alarmist. Most of us know about "sitting disease", but science is slowly finding out just detrimental sitting for long periods is not only bad for our body, it's bad for our brains, as well. And nothing, not even exercise, seems to counteract it.

Thanks to new research conducted by Dr. Prabha Siddarth at the University of California at Los Angeles, researchers have found a link between sedentary behavior and reduced thickness of the medial temporal lobe. This part of the brain contains the hippocampus, the region of the brain in charge of learning and memory.

Researchers tested the activity levels of a group of 35 healthy people between the ages 45 to 70. They also recorded the average number of hours each day spent sitting and then scanned subjects' brains with an M.R.I machine. They found that the thickness of their medial temporal lobe was inversely correlated with how sedentary the subjects were; subjects that reported sitting for long durations had the thinnest medial temporal lobes. Then researchers came to their conclusion: the more time you spend sitting, the worse it is for your brain's health.

So what does this mean for people who work at desks? Exercise is not enough to counteract the negative health effects from sitting. No, the only way out of this problem is getting off our duffs and standing, which is why it's crucial to have a desk that supports your body in all of the right ways.

Our bodies were made to move. By giving your body a height adjustable desk, you allow yourself to work in more postures, improving circulation to the brain, improving cognitive functioning.The next time you forget your computer password, stand up or take a walk and then try it again. Most people find that their memory improves just by standing.

And if you work at a desk, don't just sit there; utilize and work at a desk that gives you the freedom to sit and stand when you want. Shop our selection of height adjustable desks, desk converters, ergonomic chairs, and desk accessories for the perfectly picked office essentials to keep you healthy while you work.