Study: Teens Who Stand at Desks Have Sharper Minds in School

by ParentCo. January 15, 2016

Get up, stand up. A new study finds that high school freshman who use stand-up desks perform better on tests of executive function and memory.

As reported in ScienceDaily, "these skills are directly related to the development of many academic skills that allow students to manage their time effectively, memorize facts, understand what they read, solve multi-step problems and organize their thoughts in writing." It's the first time that evidence has been found for the neurocognitive benefits of standing desks in schools. Previous studies had hinted that stand up desks might improve student attention and focus, without disrupting students’ level of engagement. "Continued use of standing desks was associated with significant improvements in executive function and working memory capabilities. Changes in corresponding brain activation patterns were also observed." - Ranjana Mehta, Ph.D., an author of Standing Up for Learning: A Pilot Investigation on the Neurocognitive Benefits of Stand-Biased School Desks

Further Reading

• Kids Who Can't Sit Still: Letting them fidget may keep students focused on learning. (NEA)
• Why schools are adding standing desks to the classroom (Today)
• Study: Standing desks strengthen student concentration (DA)
• "This $25 Cardboard Sit-Stand Desk Means You No Longer Have An Excuse To Sit" (FastCo.)

Source

Texas A&M University. "New study indicates students' cognitive functioning improves when using standing desks." ScienceDaily (original source)

Ranjana Mehta, Ashley Shortz, Mark Benden. Standing Up for Learning: A Pilot Investigation on the Neurocognitive Benefits of Stand-Biased School Desks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2015; 13 (2): 59 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13010059

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