Are you thrilled about creating a positive lifestyle change at work with the help of a standing desk? If you’ve noticed your productivity dwindling, if back pain has become a constant bother, and if you’ve started feeling that you’re in a slump because of your sedentary lifestyle, this is the best time to make a significant change in your daily work habits. And, one of the most effective means to address that is with the use of an ergonomic standing desk. Canada has seen an increase in the use of the sit-stand desk in many offices, and with positive benefits. It’s time you enjoy these benefits, too!
To help you get started and allow you to maximize your standing desk, let’s take a look at the dos and don’ts in the use of this ergonomic desk.
Things to Do and Things Not to Do When Using a Standing Desk
Check out the following guidelines:
DO prepare yourself for standing more
This means don’t jump into standing head on, no matter how eager you are to get started. Make sure your body—your muscles—is ready for more standing. Stay fit, do stretches, get enough sleep, stay hydrated, and eat the right food. These basic health tips will help your body become ready.
DON’T overdo standing
This is in support of the first point. Once you’ve taken all steps necessary to ensure you are ready for more standing and more activity, make sure to do it properly. This means alternating between sitting and standing—not sitting nor standing most of the time. This is especially true if you’re new to the lifestyle. Give your body time to adjust. Start by standing for a few minutes. As your body adjusts to the added work it is subjected to, you can slowly add more minutes until you get the right balance between sitting and standing.
DO set the standing desk at the correct height
The success of the desk will largely depend on how you use it, and one of the most important things to remember is to set it to the correct height in relation to your height. An electric standing desk comes with a keypad built into it, and this is where you can set and save your preferred height. To arrive at that height, stand in front of your desk and place your hands on the desk. When you do this, your elbows must be bent at a 90-degree angle—that is the correct standing desk height for you. Keep adjusting the desk until you get this height, and then save it so it’s easy to adjust the desk next time.
DON’T put weight on the standing desk more than it can handle
When shopping for a desk, pay attention to its load-carrying capacity—this will tell you how much weight the desk can handle. Use this as a guide to determine how much equipment and materials you can place on the desk. Don’t go above the weight limit, or you risk damaging your standing desk.
DO choose the right standing desk
The same way it’s important to choose a desk that will match the weight of all the materials you plan to place on it, as well as the height range that will match your height, there are other factors you might want to consider when making your choice. This will include the travel speed of the desk, the operating noise, the design of the frame, the color of the tabletop, including warranty and price, among others. As a guide, a good standing desk will generally be equipped with dual motors and come with a three-segment frame design paired with a table top with the color that will match your space and personality. Find a high-quality standing desk for your workspace.
DON’T stop at merely standing at work
It’s true that standing more will give a significant boost in your lifestyle, but remember that this cannot be a substitute for exercise and other types of movement. Standing more is not enough. You have to stay active through rigorous exercise and other means of movement. At work, you can complement standing with more walking time, by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and by doing simple standing desk exercises.
With all these reminders on what to do and what not to do in the use of a standing desk, we’re hopeful that you will be off to a great start in your sit-stand journey. We wish you all the very best, and keep living a healthy, happy life!
