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V O L . X X I N O. X V I I I H E A LT H Y B U S I N E S S 10 T raditionally, spending the day on your feet has been considered a downside of any given job. But as mounting research shows the health risks that go along with prolonged periods of sit- ting, more employers in Maine and nationwide are fi nding that going vertical at work and encouraging their staff ers to do the same makes for a happier, healthier and even a more productive workplace. "People need to be comfortable in order to be creative. ey have to have a healthy work environ- ment," says Taja Dockendorf, founder of Pulp and Wire, a Portland branding and marketing agency. She bought a desk that gives her the fl exibility to sit or stand last year. Now, four of the nine people in her offi ce have these desks too. "After a day at my standing desk, I actually feel really rejuvenated," she says. "I have more sustained energy. Instead of that crash in the afternoon, because I'm standing and moving, my energy is more consistent and stable." 'Sitting disease' Employers like Dockendorf are hoping to avoid the myriad ailments that scientists have now proven to emanate from spending eight, 10, or even more hours per day in a sedentary position on a daily basis. Studies have continued to pile up in recent years showing the risk of what has come to be known as "sitting disease." To name a few: ¡ A review of research published in the January 2015 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that sitting for prolonged periods of time increases risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and death — even in those who exercise on a regular basis. ¡ A study published in the January 2015 issue of the Journal of Physical Activity & Health, which examined the cardio-respiratory fi tness and sit- ting habits of 930 men over the course of a decade, found that those who spent at least 19 hours per week sitting down were 75% more likely than those who sat less than 12 hours per week to develop metabolic syndrome, a constellation of chronic illnesses that includes diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. at was true even in those who had high levels of physical fi tness. ¡ Even just reducing the amount of sitting time by as little as an hour can have an impact, research shows. A 2011 study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that when workers used standing desks and reduced their sitting time by just over 60 minutes per day, they reduced their upper back and neck pain by 54%. ey also reduced low back pain and shoulder tension and improved posture. Plus, workers reported feeling more comfortable, more energized, healthier, more focused and productive, happier and less stressed. Sara Lewis, director of client service at Spinnaker Trust in Portland, got a standing desk about a year ago, after reading about the benefi ts and contending with knee pain that nagged at her when she sat at her desk. e results were immediate. e knee pain completely disappeared, and being on her feet all day put her in motion a lot more. "I'm defi nitely moving around a lot more because I'm standing," she says. "And even just moving in little bits you just feel better." Better collaboration ere's even evidence that it makes employees work together more eff ectively. In a study published in the June 2014 issue of Social Psychological and Personality Science, where researchers explored how the physical space impacts interpersonal dynam- ics, researchers concluded that getting people out of their chairs at work may increase their capacity for collaborative work. ey were more mentally engaged, less territorial about their ideas and more creative. Ultimately, they performed better. "A non-sedentary workspace enhances the extent to which people engage in collaborative information elaboration — a key ingredient to high performance on knowledge work," the study authors wrote. Plus it makes it easier to go out on a walk, which has been proven to enhance learning, memory and cognition. In an April 2014 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, researchers concluded that walking boosts workers' creativity — even after they return to their desks. "Walking opens up the free fl ow of ideas, and it is a simple and robust solution to the goals of increasing creativity and increasing physical activ- ity," the authors wrote. Dockendorf has noticed the diff erence in her agency's offi ce space. "It's easier to go over and talk to someone," she says. " ere's not that extra eff ort of standing up to walk around the corner to talk to someone or do a quick stretch. And we fi nd that it engages a little bit more conversation." Don't just stand. Move To be sure, ergonomics experts point out that it's the movement — not just standing still — that pro- vides the health benefi ts. When you move around, the muscles change in length, which helps pump blood through the P H O T O / JA S O N P. S M I T H Taking aim at sitting Standing desks combat recent findings that 'sitting is the new smoking' B y J e n n i f e r V a n A l l e n P H O T O / JA S O N P. S M I T H At Kleinschmidt in Pittsfi eld, about 20 of the company's 120 employees stand up while they work. Kelli Frost (pictured), an administrative assistant, is among those with a standing desk. Renea Qua, facilities manager, says participating employees have more energy and are less tired at the end of the work day.

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