How Choosing a Standing Desk Can Help You Be Healthier and More Productive

A Standing Desk might be great addition to your home office

If you work from home, then you probably spend a fair amount of your time each day sitting at your desk. Sitting down for extended periods has a variety of health issues and can lead to back problems, so you may want to consider transitioning to a standing desk for your home office.

The question of whether to choose a regular vs. standing desk is a complex one and you likely have some concerns that you wish to resolve before committing to the choice though. Standing desks aren’t super popular yet, so working with one can seem unfamiliar. Why change something that seems to be working?

Here are some points to consider that may encourage you to make that transition.

So, what is a Standing Desk?

Standing desks, also known as standup desks, are raised desks that are designed to be used while you are standing. This helps you avoid long periods of sitting, which can be bad for your health, weight, and posture.

You can also find desks that you can adjust between a standing and sitting configuration. That way, you can switch between the two positions if standing all day is uncomfortable.

Standup and regular desks in the same office. The best of both worlds.

An alternative to having a single desk that is either a standup desk or a height-adjustable desk is to have two separate desks for standing and sitting. With this approach you can use the standup desk for work that doesn’t require a computer, while the sit-down desk would be your computer desk.

This requires a large office space and work that lets you transition between the two desks. If you prefer to alternate between sitting and standing then it can be faster and more convenient than an adjustable desk. The standup desk can be made to be more space-efficient by choosing one that also doubles as a storage unit.

With two desks, you have a “work” area where you literally sit down and get work done and a creative space where you make notes or gather ideas while standing/ walking a bit.

Consider a Desk Converter as a cheaper alternative to a dedicated standup desk.

If you like your existing desk and don’t want to replace it, then you might want to consider a standup desk converter. You can either place the converters on top of your existing desk, or attach them to your desk for better stability.

These tend to be cheaper than a full standing desk, so they are a good choice if you are not yet convinced that a standup desk is the right option for you. If you find that you prefer a sit-down desk then you can just remove the converter desk and switch back.

Here are a few benefits to choosing a standing desk for your home office, along with some things to consider.

• Sitting down for long periods of time encourages a sedentary lifestyle. A standup desk may encourage you to spend more time on your feet in your daily life.
• Standing burns more calories than sitting, so you have more chance of losing weight using a standup desk.
  You won’t lose a huge amount of weight just from standing, but you can potentially avoid gaining weight if your standup desk stops you from sitting down for long periods.
• Spending too much time in your day sitting down can cause conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Your body needs a certain level of activity to keep itself running smoothly, which sitting doesn’t provide.
• Sitting for an extended time can cause bad posture along with issues with your body’s skeletal and muscular structure. Particularly if the office chair you use is not ergonomically designed.
  Standing in the same position for an extended period can also cause issues, so it’s best to ensure you take the time to walk around and change your position periodically. Anti-fatigue mats can help with that, though.
  Ultimately standing is better for you than sitting for an extended period.
• Sitting down can encourage unproductive periods of daydreaming and similar inactivity. Standing provides fewer opportunities for slacking off and puts you in a more active mindset.

You can buy a standing desk from a specialty store like Standdesk (and get a 15% discount with the coupon code: 15%off). Amazon also has some standup desks on offer. The electrically adjustable Seville Classics OFFK65826 Airlift S3 is a great choice. Browse around and see what’s available.

Whether you build your own desk with Standdesk or go with a popular desk from Amazon, you’ll definitely discover a new way of working.

While it is important to alternate between sitting and standing throughout your workday, it is just as important to keep proper posture while doing so. Don’t forget to keep a straight back and let your core muscles do the work, set your screen at eye level, and maintain an overall symmetrical balance from your feet to your knees to forearms to shoulders. 
There are also anti-fatigue mats you can use, designed specifically to make working at a standing desk more comfortable and give your body a bit of movement because you balance lightly on the foam.

What are your experiences with standing desks? Have you ever considered getting one? Can you never go back after having tried it? Personally, I love standing desks (but don’t have one atm) and can really encourage people to try them out.