Standing desks are all the rage. Sometimes, you feel like you are the only person in your circle of friends who hasn’t tried a standing desk. There are plenty of reasons you didn’t jump on the bandwagon. And most of those reasons were probably pretty good. If you have foot, knee, hip, or back injuries, you are not going to be excited about a standing desk. If you have heavily invested in an expensive, ergonomic chair, a standing desk is not going to be for you.
There is also the challenge of cord management. If you have a lot of cables that go from the devices on your desk to a wall socket, that could be a real problem if those cords are relatively short. You don’t want to risk unplugging your computer every time you decide to raise it. There are more reasons than these to take a stand against standing desks. However, if you have heard about some of the benefits of using a standing desk and want to see what all the fuss is about, read on:
Hold Better Meetings
If you have ever conducted a meeting, you have had the frustration of being completely energized while the people you are talking to are slumped over and snoring at the table. Consider replacing those small tables with standing tables so that everyone is energized and alert. While you’re at it, use a meeting minutes template to keep better minutes and as a result, hold fresher, tighter meetings where everyone can stay awake.
You don’t have to keep your tables in a full standing position all the time. You can simply raise them for certain times of the day such as meetings. So be sure to get the kind that is easily adjustable. They are all going to be adjustable because not everyone is the same height. They want to make it easy for everyone to be able to use them. The only question is regarding the mechanism.
Some standing desks have manual adjustments that have to be made upon setup. These should be avoided. Others have manual setups involving a hand crank. This is also sub-optimal. Still, other manual options use a pneumatic lift that you actuate with a lever. This is a semi-manual system that you will find on the most affordable standing desks. Finally, there are the fully automatic desks that have to be plugged in and are adjusted with the touch of a button. Many of these desks also have programmable settings so that you can have different heights for different people. You can get this starting at around $200. The sky’s the limit.
Get a Standing Chair
The most important accessory for a standing desk is a standing chair. There are many guides to help you find the best active seating option for you. It sounds strange to talk about standing chairs, or chairs for standing desks, or active seating. Sitting is one of the most inactive things you can do. And standing is the polar opposite of seating as we commonly think about it. But the fact is, no one stands for 8 hours a day. You stand for brief spurts. When you are experienced, you might stand for an hour or so at a time. You use a special tall chair to sit or perch or lean during the down cycle. This is the main reason why a programmable desk is so useful. You can put in a program that is the perfect height for your active sitting option. You might even use more than one chair depending on how active you want to be.
Opt for the Wheels
Most standing desks come with flat feet to ensure stability. But Your desk is perfectly stable with wheels, provided they are good wheels with good locks. You will want that option which is often sold separately when it is time to rearrange your office. A good standing desk is quite heavy. Don’t save your back by standing, then throw your back by moving the standing desk.
Perhaps it is time for you to take a stand. Just don’t fall into some of the most common issues. Put a few in the office for those occasions when everyone needs to be energized. Get an active chair so that you can sit and still get some benefit. And go for the locking wheels because you really don’t want to move one of these things without wheels if you don’t have to.