I swapped my office chair for a standing desk – here’s what I’ve learnt after 30 days
Standing desks (opens in new tab) have been a very hot ticket item ever given that the pandemic strike as the globe went into lockdown and hybrid working/operate from household grew to become the norm, and continue to be-at-home staff purchased Business office chairs (opens in new tab) and laptop docking stations (opens in new tab) in their hundreds of thousands.
Rapidly ahead to 2023 and standing desks have moved on from currently being an object of curiosity to a attractive, central piece of furniture in a residence business.
A latest study carried out by OnePulse in partnership with TechRadar Professional hinted at penetration concentrations of up to 15{6b977529af4b490fe19a3f85472c6203ccfa467a56646e317a890c6580e8b827} across the normal populace (opens in new tab), and practically two thirds of these who responded selected a standing desk rather of a regular desk to increase their posture. That was also the purpose why I determined to dump my workplace chair and, well, stand up at my standing desk, a thing I have embraced due to the fact the starting of the yr, the desktop forever perched 111 cm over the flooring.
Below are some of the factors I have learnt in my numerous weeks of standing:
1. Standing at a desk may perhaps not be for anyone
Adopting a vertical situation for numerous several hours at a time can be taxing for your entire body, so you may want to just take it quick, particularly if it really is your 1st time accomplishing so.
A report by the Harvard Healthcare School (opens in new tab) lists some of the facet consequences that may perhaps come with standing up for prolonged intervals: risk of acquiring back again, leg or foot soreness.
The publication also advocates steadily shifting from sitting down to standing, one thing I didn’t do. My transform in posture was performed overnight and – touching the wood aspect of the desktop – I have not experienced from backache.
2. The significance of your soles
I am a flip-flop person I have several pairs and find them functional, effortless to cleanse, reasonably priced and earlier mentioned all, fantastically snug even when sporting thick socks.
I owe my present-day run of standing at a standing desk for months to a perfectly worn rubber pair that have been formed to fit the arched soles of my feet perfectly. Reliably distributing the strain of standing up uniformly (and consequently cutting down force on my heels) may have turned out to be the essential to lengthy-time period standing.
Alternatively a yoga mat (opens in new tab) or something equivalent could function.
3. Standing at your desk can make it simpler to shift about
I don’t know about you, but I’ve from time to time uncovered it hard to stand up when sitting down, possibly out of apathy or laziness, in particular right after a weighty food.
Dozing absent when slumped even in an workplace chair is some thing that a single are not able to do when standing. I discovered myself remaining extra notify and – possibly far more importantly – a lot more ready to move all over to consider all significant breaks. It’s one particular fewer move to choose to get points finished.
This is in fact backed by a 2018 investigation (opens in new tab) carried out by teams from the University of Leicester and Loughborough College, who identified out that standing desk can make staff members much more engaged.
4. Never try out to use a walking pad when performing
I invested in a strolling pad in excess of the 2020 lockdown, but like so lots of aspirations, going for walks at home was speedily deserted inside months.
Quick ahead to 2023 and I have started off accomplishing gentle classes with my going for walks pad (or below-desk treadmills (opens in new tab) as my TechRadar colleagues simply call them). I heeded the information of 1 of my fellow writers (opens in new tab) and shoved the walking pad less than the standing desk.
Just really do not test to get the job done when walking as it is just non conducive and potentially hazardous. As a substitute, take a look at the planet from the convenience of your office and do digital walks in the English countryside, in the rain in Tokyo, Soho or Venice.
A person attention-grabbing aspect I identified was the further room beneath the significant desk is relatively substantial (about .7 cubic meters by my calculations) which is sufficient for a ton of storage. You could even park your kid’s desk beneath so that they never truly feel by yourself when mum or father are operating or on a video meeting contact.
For those nervous about the notion of under no circumstances sitting down once again, here are some suggestions. Make investments in a high chair or a drafting chair to help remedy your sitting fears as you transition to standing. After you’ve embraced that placement permanently see no matter whether you can get a yoga block or something equivalent in condition and bodyweight. A hand-cranked standing desk may well also be your best wager if, like me, you’re probably to be permanently adopting a posture.
I’m under no circumstances going back to sitting at a desk (unless of course when I’m in the place of work). Standing up did boost my posture (i.e. straightened back again) but it performs hand in hand with possessing the ideal setup. For me that intended possessing a significant display (a 43-inch 4K Television-turned-watch (opens in new tab)) with its prime bezel approximately at the identical top as me. about at eye degree and pushed versus the wall so that it offers me sufficient house for typing. At relieve, my forearms are flawlessly horizontal on the desk’s top, with my fingers not obtaining to overstretch to get to the keyboard.
While a great deal of it will be subjective and dependent on your actual physical make-up, I now experience I have far better equilibrium, am extra lively and articles being aware of that I am dropping about 1000 extra energy for each thirty day period only by standing up.