The Do’s and Don’ts of Using a Standing Desk
Just like gym a membership, diet plan, or a self help book, simply having a standing desk won’t deliver improvements to your health and wellbeing. In other words, to maximize the benefits of standing desks - such as increased calorie burn, relief from back pain, improved focus at work - you need to use it properly. To help you get the most out of your stand up desk, as well as avoid some potential pitfalls, we’ve assembled our top “do’s” and “don’t’s.”
Sit Stand Desk Do’s and Don’ts
1. DO Optimize the Ergonomics
While many users report that a stand up desk can help alleviate a variety of pain-related symptoms, the simple act of standing at your desk is not enough.
As with sitting at a desk, proper ergonomics is key. Specifically, your adjustable height desk should be raised to a height that allows your back to be straight while your upper arms remain relaxed and hang perpendicular to the floor. As you type, your forearms should be at a 90-degree angle to your upper arms, and parallel with the floor. To help avoid neck pain, your monitor should be set at a height at or very slightly below eye level, so that you you do not have to tilt your head up or down to look at the screen.
2. DO Ease Into Standing When You Work
You would’t just go out and run a marathon, right? You’d need to work your way up to that distance. The same goes for a standing desk.
If you purchase a height adjustable desk, start by standing for relatively short stretches. After that, lower the desk to a comfortable seated height for a while, then alternate back to standing. With each passing week, increase the time you spend standing a little more until eventually, standing while you work becomes your natural and preferred position.
3. DO Alternate Between Standing and Sitting
Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. While research shows too much sitting can lead to serious health issues, too much standing can sometimes cause some minor discomfort in the back, legs, and feet.
This is easily alleviated by switching between standing a sitting throughout your day. Some users like to alternate positions when changing from one task to another. For example, sitting while you compose a letter, then standing while you make phone calls or brainstorm an idea.
These transitions can easily be accomplished with any height adjustable desk. If using a fixed height standing desk, a drafting chair allows you to sit at a raised work surface.
4. DO Accessorize with Items that Enhance Comfort
Floors often are hard and unforgiving. This can be easily remedied with accessories such as a floor mat or active sitting chair. A floor mat designed for standing desk use provides cushioning and shock absorption, while an active sitting chair provides a perch to lean on, taking some weight off of your legs and feet.
5. DO Move Around
Standing in a static position, while for many people is better than sitting, is not ideal. The key is active motion. The floor mat and active sitting chair we just mentioned also encourage you to rock back and forth and side to side as you subconsciously shift positions.
6. DON’T Just Sit All Day
We’ve all visited someone’s house and seen a treadmill that is collecting dust or a home gym that has morphed into a coat rack.
With a height adjustable desk, it can be easy to just leave it in the seated position all day, and forget to stand. Needless to say, this won’t deliver the standing desk benefits you’re after.
7. DON’T Use a Standing Desk as Replacement for Exercise and Diet
Think of your standing desk health benefits as a single component of a total approach to wellness. To be at your best, this approach must also include regular exercise and a healthy diet. When all three are combined, you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel!
8. DON’T Overload Your Standing Desk
Since a height adjustable desk has a mechanism for raising and lowering the work surface, weight is a consideration. If you use multiple oversized monitors, and/or have heavier items on your desk, choose a model with extra weight capacity. A crank operated or electric model tends to have a higher capacity than a pneumatic model. A dual motor electric model offers even more load capacity.
9. DON’T Leave the Casters Unlocked
When using a standing desk, it’s nice to sometimes lean on it the way you would a countertop. To keep it from rolling away from you, make sure the wheels are in their “locked” position.
10. DO Enhance Your Office Decor by Choosing an Attractive Color
Standing desks are available in a wide range of top and frame color options, allowing you to pick a color combination that enhances the look of your office space.
11. DO De-Clutter Your Workspace with Well-Chosen Accessories
Today’s standing desks are available with a wide variety of accessories, which include a pencil drawer, privacy panel, keyboard and/or mouse tray, monitor mounts, plus cord and power management. These let you fully customize your adjustable height desk for optimum productivity.
Standing Desks: An Integral Part of Your Workplace Wellness Plan
Many agree that stand up desk benefits can include improved cardiovascular health and boosted calorie burn, both of which potentially increase productivity, collaboration, and engagement. For these and other reasons, a standing desk converter or an adjustable height desk should be seriously considered as an effective and important part of your personal health and wellness program.
We hope you found these standing desk do’s and don’t’s helpful!
