Northlanders Trade in Chairs for Standing Desks

DULUTH, Minn. - Whether they are looking to heal or amp up an inactive lifestyle, some people are trading in sitting for standing."I went on medical leave in December. I had a hysterectomy," Miller Hill Mall director of marketing Machelle Kendrick said. To speed up the healing process and be more comfortable at work, Kendrick surfed the wave of a new trend and asked her employer for a new standing desk. "It's made a difference for my recovery time and my health, too," said Kendrick. "I would encourage people to do this." With tag lines like ‘sitting is the new smoking’ standing desks have become all the rage. "We've seen an excellent demand,” StandStand owner Paul Peterson said. “About 10 orders a day and we're going to see that continue." StandStand in Superior makes convertible standing desks. Owners tell us a lot of their customers are seeking a healthier lifestyle."When you sit for 20 minutes your metabolism starts to shut off," said Peterson. "When you sit for long periods of time you have the same risk of heart disease and cancer as someone who smokes a pack a day." Some medical experts believe being on your own two feet can go a long way toward fighting obesity and disease."It lowers your chance of getting heart disease exponentially," said Peterson. WestmorelandFlint in downtown Duluth decided to convert almost all of their desks to standing stations."Nobody likes sitting on their butt all day, it's a great option," WestmorelandFlint project manager Heather Seeley said. Seeley says the transition has helped reduce her carpal tunnel, neck problems and headaches."Ailments in your life that you just didn't realize really stem from sitting at your desk," said Seeley. Staff members are convinced working with each other at eye level has helped their collaborative process and not having a chair up under them at all times has boosted their overall mood."I don't know the chemistry behind it, but I think standing up in general gives your mind, body and spirit just a nice energy," said Seeley. Other medical experts believe standing too long can actually make health problems worse.