How To Use A Standing Desk?
If you’ve recently interested in an adjustable stand up desk, you’re about to unlock a wide range of benefits. Studies show that your health, mental clarity and productivity levels are highly beneficial from standing desks. Rather than sit down at a typical office desk for 6 to 8 hours a day in an same posture, switching your daily work position can do wonders for your body. But, fail to get the height, posture and position in a proper way, and you might not get the most out of your investment. As ergonomic office furniture experts, we’re going to teach you how to use a standing desk properly and offer you some handy tips to boost your productivity levels at work.
How To Adjust Your Standing Desk Height
As humans, we’re all unique. However, if you are an IT or Software Engineer, Video Editor own your Studio, Photographer, Coder, Gamer, or Writer, most of your office work has to be done on an monitor, while others enjoy working on laptops. Along with our device preferences in the office, our height also plays a key role in the perfect standing desk position. That’s why it’s so important to invest in an adjustable standing desk that allows you to change the height, tilt and position of your screen according to your unique working style. So let’s first take a look at the best height for working while standing up.
Best Height To Work Standing Up
Getting the right height for your stand up desk will help you feel comfortable while working and enable you to keep your posture on point throughout the day.
As a rule of thumb, adjust your standing desk to your elbow height. You’ll know it’s the right height for you when your elbows rest comfortably on the desk at a 90-degree angle. Make sure your neck is not straining forward to see the screen, or you are arching your back in any way.
This position is important to get right, especially if you spend a lot of time typing.
Top tip: Your hands should naturally hover above the keyboard, without you tilting your wrists to reach the keys.
Pay Attention To Your Posture
If you often suffer from lower back, shoulder and neck pain, this is likely due to poor posture. Even-though standing is far better for your body than sitting in an office chair for hours at a time, you still need to pay close attention to your posture to prevent aches and pains after a long day at work.
Try to relax your shoulders while working at your stand up desk throughout the day. Stretch out your body and raise and relax your shoulder every hour or so. This will help you to keep a strong and aligned posture. The spine needs to be supported by your lower body, so keep your knees slightly bent.
Top tip: Invest in an ergonomic standing desk cushioned mat to keep your knees supported while working for long hours.
Desktop Vs Laptop Position
As we’ve previously mentioned, some people prefer to work from a desktop, while others enjoy the convenience of a laptop device. Your screen preference should also be considered when adjusting the height and position of your standing desk. Even if your elbows are comfortably resting at a 90-degree angle, if you choose to work from a laptop, you might be tempted to strain your neck and arch your back to see a screen that is well below your natural line of sight. To counteract this common issue, you can invest in a laptop stand. This helps to raise your device and tilt it, to give you the best position possible to work while standing up.
How Long Should You Work At A Standing Desk?
It’s best to alternate between sitting down and standing up while working. Yes, sitting down is not going to help you burn calories and can cause stress and pressure on your body, but standing up too much can also impact your joints and spine. For best results, invest in an adjustable standing desk that gives you the best of both worlds.
Jack Callaghan, a professor at the University of Waterloo states that people should be standing for at least 30 minutes every hour to get the best health benefits. Using advanced ergonomic and health risk calculations, Jack Callaghan presented a sit-stand ratio of 1:1 and 1:3. Using this ratio, if you were to work for 8 hours a day, make sure you’re standing for at least 4 hours a day, but not in one interval. So, stand for 30 minutes, sit for 30 minutes, or stand for 45 minutes, sit for 45 minutes. The most important thing to do is to listen to your body. If you feel tired and in need of a rest, sit down and relax. If you feel as though you’ve been sitting down for too long and you’re full of energy, stand up for longer.