Ten years ago, Benden developed workstations that would allow productivity while combating sedentary lifestyles - and so the idea of stand-biased desks was born.
An ergonomic engineer by trade, Mark Benden, Ph.D., CPE, is always on the lookout for the latest and greatest innovative solutions to solve some of the most complex public health issues. Ten years ago, Benden developed workstations that would allow productivity while combating sedentary lifestyles – and so the idea of stand-biased desks was born.
Benden, an associate professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, initially studied the health benefits of standing at work through the use of height adjustable tables and stand-up desks for adults. He found the most sedentary adults in the office were also the most obese. The research resulted in his theory of technology induced inactivity which led to early iterations of Benden’s first stand-biased desks.
He conducted a pilot study in 2009 in first-grade classrooms at College Hills Elementary in College Station, Texas, to determine the effects of standing-height desks on children. Findings indicated higher levels of calorie expenditure in students using stand-biased desks.
In the fall of 2011, PositiveMotion received a $150k Small Business Innovation Research grant to fund the development of Stand2Learn, an offshoot company designed to develop the classroom version of the stand-biased desks. In 2012, the company also received a startup fund investment from the Aggie Angel Network.
In October, Stand2Learn received a $1 million grant from the CDC that will enable the team to conclude research on middle and high school students, while developing the next generation of patented desk designs.