The White House wants standing desks for its workers. That will cost $700,000.

Oval Office
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

It seems that, like the rest of us, the White House has been reading some hysterical articles about how sitting all day will kill you. And it also appears that, like the rest of us, the Executive Office of the President is now wondering if it's time to ditch chairs and exercise balls in favor of standing desks.

National Journal reports that, according to a recent public solicitation, the Executive Office of the President is seeking up to $700,000 worth of standing desks over a five-year period — though the remaining four years after the end of the Obama administration are optional. The government even has a brand preference for the desks, specifying that they must be "Varidesk brand name or equal." Large Varidesks cost in the $400-$500 range.

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Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.