The growing sedentary lifestyle that characterizes a large percentage of today’s population has brought a clamor for ergonomic solutions in offices and workspaces to help individuals move more and break free from their sedentary habits. One of the top innovative solutions to emerge are ergonomic standing desks, adjustable desks that encourage individuals to alternate between sitting and standing as they work so that they are not glued to their seats for too long.
If you’ve invested in a standing desk and are now wondering what the next best steps are to make sure that you maximize the benefits of this sit-stand desk, then this post is for you.
Here’s What You Need to Do When Your Standing Desk Arrives
So, you have your standing desk right there in the middle of your workspace and you’re wondering—now what? Well, it’s time to set up your desk and get started!
Set up the standing desk to the correct height
Most electric standing desks are pretty straightforward to set up and will not require any complex skills or tools. It can be done by one or two individuals and will take approximately 30 minutes. Once the standing desk is set up, it’s time to try and adjust it according to your specific height. You will find a keypad built on the side of the desk, and you can set the height via this keypad. What’s neat about it is that you can preset and save up to 4 heights on the keypad for easy adjustment every time you shift between sitting and standing.
To set the correct standing desk height, follow these steps:
- Stand in front of the desk.
- Place your arms and hands on the desk’s surface.
- The correct desk height is the height in which your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle while placed on the desk.
- Save this height for easy desk adjustment later on.
Arrange your work equipment on your desk
The next step is to check all the equipment and work materials you will need to place on the desk and ensure that the collective weight of all these equipment and materials will not exceed the desk’s load capacity. Each desk has a specific load capacity, and exceeding that will cause premature desk damage and breakdown. So, if you feel that you have a lot of equipment, perhaps check if there is anything you can declutter or perhaps place somewhere else, like a file cabinet.
Find a starting sit-stand rhythm that works for you
Once your desk is arranged and everything is now in proper order, it’s time to start building the habit of alternating between sitting and standing. One important note to remember is to keep your pace steady. Don’t jump straight away to prolonged standing if you’re just starting to build the habit, especially if it’s your first time doing this.
So how much standing should you do? Experts say you can stand between 15 to 45 minutes in an hour, but you can’t start with the habit and go straight to 45-minute standing time—your muscles and your body will likely experience fatigue if you do. The best approach to this is to start small, build steadily, and then practice the habit consistently.
Check what else you need to optimize your desk and your sit-stand experience
Do you easily get tired when you are standing? Try to use an anti-fatigue mat, a mat designed to absorb the strain caused by your feet standing on a concrete surface for a long period of time. This will make standing manageable, cushioning your feet and legs from unnecessary pressure.
Do you feel eye strain and are having a hard time adjusting the height and angle of your monitors? Consider getting a set of monitor arms. These arms can be directly installed to the edge of your standing desk, and they can reposition your monitors—take them off the desk’s surface and hold them in an elevated position for easy adjustment of height and angle.
Once these are all taken care of, and with the right standing desk, you are now ready to make a positive lifestyle shift and live a more active and a healthier life.
