In order to fully benefit from your sit-stand desk, it’s important to customize your workspace to suit your body’s needs. Using standing desks correctly may seem like a no-brainer from an outsider’s perspective: You stand. You work. You repeat. However, ergonomics is not an exact science because every human body is different. The optimal height for your desk will be different for you than for someone else, and that’s a good thing!
If you decided to purchase a sit/stand desk of your own, or if you already have one, here are a few common mistakes you’ll want to avoid to ensure you are sitting and standing the correct way.
Your desk is too high or too low
The basis of proper standing desk ergonomics begins with setting the height of your desk. The height of your desk has an impact on the position of your keyboard and monitor. How those items are positioned can have a dramatic impact on your upper back, neck and wrist comfort.
Standing too long
Many people have become accustom to the belief that, if you own a sit/stand desk, you should be standing all day. This is far from the truth. Studies* actually recommend that you work towards standing for two hours in the beginning and eventually build up to standing for four hours a day, alternating between sitting and standing. Too much of anything is a bad thing, so don’t negate your standing benefits by ditching sitting completely.
No anti-fatigue mat
If you notice your feet getting especially tired while standing throughout the day, not having an anti-fatigue standing desk mat could be the cause. Having a mat under your feet not only gives you the extra cushion you need to stay comfortably standing, but also encourages movement when standing.
Standing Still
One of the many benefits of standing over sitting is the greater ability to move around while working. Having a contoured standing mat or fun music on can help get you moving at your desk and make the most of your standing time.
Having Bad Posture
Posture is something that is extremely important to our health, yet we rarely pay attention to it on a daily basis. Having bad posture when you stand can really put a damper on your standing time and end up giving you as bad of back pain as you had when sitting. It can also cause a variety of health problems ranging anywhere from general fatigue to constricted blood vessels
Your screen is too low
Improper positioning of your monitor or computer screens can lead to significant neck and upper back pain. We find that many people have their monitors set too low requiring them to look down at their screen while standing. This also can lead to discomfort while sitting as well. This also applies to those using a laptop at their desk. Using a laptop flat on the desk while standing makes it nearly impossible to keep proper posture as you’ll likely need to raise the desk too high in order to see the screen which will create issues for with your arms and typing position.
