Standing desks may boost students’ cognitive function as well as health

(credit: Texas A&M University)

Standing desks—most often installed in efforts to improve physical activity and health—may help get your noggin in shape, too, according to a pilot study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Following 27 high school freshman over one school year, researchers found that using a standing desk generally improved the kids’ neurocognitive test scores by seven to 14 percent. The tests, given both at the beginning and end of the school year, evaluated cognitive processes such as reasoning and working memory.

“These findings provide the first preliminary evidence on the neurocognitive benefits of standing desks, which to date have focused largely on energy expenditure,” the authors conclude. If the results are backed up in further studies, it could mean that a simple furniture swap to standing desks could lead to a rise in outstanding students.

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