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The first thing you need to know is that there are three main types of standing desks. There\u2019s the traditional or fixed standing desk, there\u2019s the riser and then there\u2019s the adjustable height standing desk.<\/p>\n
The fixed standing desk or rig is any setup that allows a person to stand or be upright but doesn\u2019t give them the option to sit down.<\/p>\n
Along with the traditional standing desk, this category also includes some desks that were designed to keep you active while you work, including the treadmill desk and even elliptical desks.<\/p>\n
Besides the full desks, there are also rigs that let you raise your computer and monitors to standing height. This type of desk is kind of an easy DIY project. It\u2019s not so hard to make. There are also dozens of commercially available options in the marketplace today but in just a minute I\u2019m going to explain why this isn\u2019t the type I would necessarily recommend for standing at work.<\/p>\n
Next up are desk risers. Risers are in addition to your existing desk. They give you the option to quickly go from sitting to standing or vice versa. These come in a wide range of options, colors and sizes. They\u2019re really not the easiest ones to DIY but it is possible.<\/p>\n
Last up is the adjustable height desk. Much like risers, these can quickly go from sitting to standing height but on these desks the entire surface of the desk moves up and down, either electronically or manually. Like risers these can be complex to do as a DIY project but a lot of fun to do as well. I did find one motorized version of this that comes in a price of just two hundred and fifty dollars.<\/p>\n
Tons of research has been done on the effects of sitting vs standing. I\u2019ve read through dozens of articles on the topic and one of the best resources I found on the effects of sitting vs standing at work is a study done by Cornell University on the topic of ergonomics.<\/p>\n
The study concludes the following four points:<\/p>\n
1. You shouldn\u2019t sit all day. Sitting for more than one hour at a time leads to fat build up and is related to heart disease risks. Sitting for eight or more hours a day for years on end like many of us do is extremely unhealthy.<\/p>\n
2. You shouldn\u2019t stand all day either. Extensive standing increases the risk of varicose veins and it\u2019s harder on the circulatory system especially for the legs and feet. Standing at work makes us about 20% more fatigued than we would otherwise be and it also decreases our ability to perform tasks that require fine motor skills.<\/p>\n
3. Sit stand desks, standing desks in general, they\u2019re not the answer by themselves. People with sit-stand desks tend to spend all of their time sitting at those desks within about a month of getting them and when they do stand it\u2019s usually only for about 15 minutes.<\/p>\n
4. Most importantly, there is a recommended balance.<\/p>\n
The pattern I\u2019m about to introduce you to changed my whole attitude about sitting and standing for two reasons. One, it just makes sense. It\u2019s something that actually seems logical and two, it\u2019s easy, anybody can do this, this is not a difficult requirement.<\/p>\n
And here\u2019s the advice that again I\u2019m going to read the exact quote here:<\/p>\n
\u201cSit to do computer work. Sit using a height-adjustable downward tilting keyboard tray for the best work posture then every 20 minutes stand for eight minutes and move for two minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That my friends is the key right there. You sit for 20 minutes, we stand up for about eight minutes, which is really easy to do, and then we get some motion going for about two minutes \u2013 walk around, go get some water, whatever it is you need to do.<\/p>\n
If you try this, you\u2019ll find that it\u2019s actually super easy to do and the times are just really short and easy to work with and the sit stand desk makes this totally possible.<\/p>\n
Alright so now that we know that we should be standing and moving around some of the time, here are a few tips to make the most of the time that you do spend standing.<\/p>\n
First thing, posture. Your posture is as important as standing itself. While you\u2019re standing, your elbows should be at a 90-degree angle. Your monitor should be within arm\u2019s reach and at a height where you can comfortably see them without craning your neck.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to change your posture while you stand, so lean on different feet, don\u2019t leave it all, use a stool I think is very helpful to put one leg up and then put one leg down. Switch legs, just keep moving so your body isn\u2019t stagnant.<\/p>\n
Finally avoid leaning over on your desk or doing anything that would put stress on your back or neck.<\/p>\n
Number two, mats are critical. Buy a decent mat or two to for work and it\u2019ll make standing way easier Costco sells a pretty decent $20 mat that helps the tone or you can get a nicer anti-fatigue mat for about a hundred dollars. You can also double up using two or more mats, which is what I do at work.<\/p>\n
Number three, footwear matters. Wear comfortable shoes if you can. Choose shoes that are supportive and that won\u2019t bother you after several intervals of standing. If wearing comfortable shoes isn\u2019t an option, don\u2019t wear shoes while standing. When you\u2019ve got a good mat, being barefoot or just in your socks is actually really comfortable.<\/p>\n
Number four, use a tool or a app to keep track of the time you\u2019re spending sitting and standing. Now I\u2019ve tried pretty much every kind of desktop software, phone app, even watch apps to try to find out an accurate representation of when I\u2019m sitting and when I\u2019m standing and honestly I haven\u2019t been that thrilled with any of them.<\/p>\n
What I found that works best, what I\u2019m using right now is an interval timer, something that can set for 20 minutes and then gives me ideally an eight minute and then a two-minute interval. I\u2019ve just found one that does 20 minutes and then a ten-minute interval so as soon as I get to that 10-minute section I stand for eight and then move around that last couple of minutes.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve got some sort of device that you found that works awesome, we\u2019d love to hear about, so leave a comment share it with everyone.<\/p>\n
So that\u2019s it, that\u2019s standing desks in a nutshell. Hopefully you\u2019ve learned a few things and found some ways that standing desks can be helpful and can reduce the amount of time that you spend sitting, whether it\u2019s at work or at home.<\/p>\n
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