Standing desks aren’t exactly a new idea. Leonardo Da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, authors Ernest Hemingway and Virginia Woolf, and former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld used them. In regular office settings, however, they were more or less curiosities. Not any longer. Standing — or stand-up — desks have been riding a wave of increasing popularity in recent years, especially as studies mount about the cumulative negative impact of sitting for hours every day, year after year. The desks are showing up with increasing frequency in area businesses.

Not long ago, Debby Gray, a CPA with T.E. Lott & Co. in Columbus, noticed she was having difficulty walking after sitting for long periods, pain radiating in her knees and hips.

“Walking the stairs was getting more difficult,” she said. “Sitting at my desk working on the computer was also straining my neck.”

After a medical test revealed Gray had weak leg muscles, her daughter in Colorado suggested a standing desk. They are fairly common in the Centennial State. Gray took to the Internet. What she found was a growing body of research linking prolonged sitting with a wide range of health problems. They can include obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, even cancers, according to mayoclinic.org. By January, Gray had made the decision to purchase a Varidesk height-adjustable standing desk for her office.

“I kept hearing the phrase, ‘Sitting is the new smoking,'” said Gray. “So this was part of my New Year’s resolution.”

Beware the chair

A significant amount of research on the topic is attributed to Dr. James Levine. He is director of the Mayo Clinic/Arizona State University Solutions Initiative. Levine has published more than 100 scientific papers and authored the book “Get Up! Why Your Chair is Killing You and What You Can Do About It.”

In a culture that invites us to always take a seat, Levine says humans have moved from a primarily active lifestyle to one that is largely sedentary, reshaping every facet of our lives — from health to social interaction.

Muscles burn less fat and blood flows more sluggishly during a long sit, allowing fatty acids to more easily clog the heart cites a Jan. 20, 2014, article by Bonnie Berkowitz and Patterson Clark in The Washington Post. Moving muscles pump fresh blood and oxygen through the brain and trigger the release of brain- and mood-enhancing chemicals. When we are sedentary, everything slows, including brain function. Over-productive pancreas, strained neck, muscle degeneration, leg disorders and more issues are also associated with marathon sitting.

“Humans have only sat for about 200 years, since we urbanized and industrialized,” writes Levine. “It’s obvious that as a species we are not designed for chairdom.”

Happy medium

While taking up residence in a chair should be avoided, so should constantly standing, health authorities say. A balance is best. The adjustable desk Gray purchased delivers the best of both worlds. It sits on top of an existing desk and easily adjusts from sitting to standing height in a matter of seconds.

Its ease of installation and use impressed Gray’s colleague, Melinda Barr, a qualified 401(k) administrator at T.E. Lott & Co.

“Debby’s desk came in and was situated on her existing desk within minutes after taking it out of the box,” said Barr, who acquired her own standing desk earlier this month. The workspace is ample for two monitors, keyboard, calculator and any files, she said. It also has space for morning coffee and necessities such as pencils and notepads.

The women transitioned to their elevated desks gradually. Gray began by standing a couple of hours at a time at work. About seven weeks in, she now stands for a good portion of the workday.

“It’s kind of funny,” Gray began. “When I sat I had chairs for coworkers to sit in while they came to my office to talk, but now that I stand, my coworkers never sit in a chair either — they just stand and talk to me.” She does plan to put the desk down when clients visit the office, though.

Even in the limited time Gray and Barr have been using standing desks, both are convinced they see benefits.

Barr feels she has more energy now. She is often asked in the office if she gets tired of standing. The answer is no. For a busy mother on the go, she actually finds it more natural to be on her feet than in a chair.

“You can move around more, and it just feels like you have a little more freedom.”

For Gray, who has used a standing desk longer, “I am really amazed at the benefits,” she said. “It’s much easier taking the stairs now, and I don’t get winded at all. I know my legs are getting stronger; I feel muscles there I have never felt.” Her neck is less strained and she is more aware of her posture. The biggest benefit? Sleep. Always a poor sleeper, Gray testifies that sleep is now deeper and more sound.

Research continues into standing vs. sitting, but early results in Gray’s and Barr’s offices are “thumbs up.” Or, they might be more likely to say, “stand up.”

Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.