A Proper Standing Desk Posture Guide (with Pictures)

After getting a new standing desk, you would probably wonder how it can magically change your life. The truth is that it does help a lot, but it is no magical solution if you don't learn how to use it properly. 

You're not supposed to just buy a standing desk and stand all day. There is a way to ensure that you get the best out of it, and everything is placed as ergonomically as possible. You have to consider every aspect, from the way you stand to how your setup is placed. This is going to help you achieve the ideal standing desk posture and ensure that your muscles and joints don't suffer any pressure during your working hours. 

Luckily for you, we created this handy guide that is going to teach you everything you need to know to learn how to stand at your standing desk. Keep reading to solve all your doubts. Let’s find out the proper standing desk posture with us!

What Are Workplace Ergonomics?

Workplace Ergonomics is the science of having a proper posture and elements that benefit it in offices or any other workplace. This is extremely helpful to ensure the health of all workers and promote an active lifestyle. 

Loads of offices have opted to turn their workspaces into more ergonomic ones and have experienced plenty of benefits in the work environment and productivity. This proves that it is an essential investment for any office in the world. 

How Do Standing Desks Help Your Posture?

Is using a standing desk good? It is scientifically proven that sitting down in front of your computer all day can take a huge toll on your physical health. There is a clear detriment on your muscles and joints over time, which ends up causing a lot of pain and discomfort during working hours. This can even contribute to low productivity and feelings of burnout. 

People have tried several things to avoid this, but the best solution has always been having a more active life. You could create a routine of going to the gym or try some stretching exercises for people with office jobs. 

Nonetheless, if you're a very busy person, you might end up not having enough time to fit these things into your schedule. That's why you should get an ergonomic standing desk, as these allow you to switch from sitting to a standing position in a heartbeat, which helps you keep your body moving throughout the day without losing your focus.

Find the Right Position for You

Firstly, you need to begin in your regular sitting down position because you're probably not sitting right either. Keep in mind that your back must be completely straight, and the tabletop must be low enough that your arms can rest at a 90-degree angle. You can use the automatic setups of your desk to save that position and ensure you can easily switch to it whenever you need it. 

Then, you need to do the same while standing up to find the adequate height of your standing desk. It is recommended to always consider any carpets you might have on the floor or the variation on your shoes' height, as it could eliminate the desk's ergonomics. A good standing desk calculator could be helpful to do this. 

You could even try an anti-fatigue mat that can help you feel a lot lighter, just as if you were standing on a cloud during your working hours.

Should I Stand All Day?

No, you definitely shouldn't stand all day. This is almost as harmful as sitting all day, and if we're being honest, most people aren't going to be able to endure a whole day of standing up. 

Even though the healthiest option is to spend as much time standing as you do sitting, this could end up tiring you more than you're able to endure. That's why a good starting point is to stand for 10 minutes and then sit for 15 minutes. 

We also recommend that you mix this practice with any other type of physical activity, as it would help you strengthen your muscles to the point where you don't have to worry about pain or fatigue.

A Proper Standing Desk Posture Guide for You

The Proper Placement of Monitors

The way you place your monitors also affects your posture and comfort. If they're not where they should be, then you're probably going to end up with annoying neck pain. 

Your monitors should be at eye level when completely straight. This is to avoid having to look up or down when using them. Then, when you find an adequate position for your monitor, you're going to slightly tilt it upwards towards your face until it is comfortable enough for you. 

It may be a little awkward at first, as we're not used to looking down when working. Nonetheless, this slight angle is way more comfortable for our spine than the usual completely straight position. 

Additionally, you should always ensure that you're not placing the screen too close to your eyes, as this could cause headaches and strain your vision. Your monitor should be at a distance where you can't touch it with your arms fully extended. 

Keyboard & Mouse Position

This factor also is important to get the best posture for standing desk. When you're standing up, you should also change the position of your mouse and keyboard. Otherwise, it would end up straining your wrists after some time has passed. 

Your keyboard should be a little bit more tilted than when sitting, and both your mouse and keyboard should always be at the same level as your wrists. In order to achieve this, you could get adjustable trays and mouse pads that you can switch whenever you change your position. 

Buy Arm Supports

How to stand at a standing desk with arm support? These are detachable pieces that you can use to ease your arm pain and comfortably rest during your working hours. The best part is that you can easily adjust your position to make it ideal for your specific necessities. 

Just stick one to your standing table, and your whole experience can be upgraded, especially if you're a programmer or designer, as your dominant hand is prone to suffer from cramping while working. 

Watch Your Posture

Buying a standing desk isn't going to miraculously solve all your problems if you don't learn how to stand correctly. The correct way of doing it is in the so-called "neutral position," which aligns your feet with your shoulders and ensures your whole spine is completely straight. 

This standing desk position is going to give you all the balance and support that you need while also taking care of your joints and preventing any strains or pain.

Take Breaks

Remember that you are not a machine, and you deserve to take breaks when your body indicates you to. Standing for too long can cause damage to your legs and back, which is what we're trying to avoid. 

You could either switch back to sitting every once in a while or take a quick walk and stretch out your legs to ensure your blood is flowing correctly, which helps avoid cramping. 

If you're the type of person who tends to work for hours and forget about the importance of breaks, the best thing to do is download an app that's meant to remind you every other hour to stand up, stretch, and drink some water. 

Desk Stretches

Experts have created a series of exercises for office workers to take care of their joints and give their muscles rest during the day. These stretches are extremely easy to do and may only take you a couple of minutes. It also is helpful to get a proper standing desk position. Therefore, you can save some time between appointments to do your routine. 

These exercises can be done sitting down, standing up, or even laying down on the floor, which gives you a wide variety of positions to adapt to your space.

Switch Things Around If Needed

Even though we might give you standard desk height measurements, you know your body better than anyone else. Therefore, you're free to switch things around until you find a position that suits you perfectly. 

One amazing benefit of standing desks is that you can adapt their height however you want. That's why you shouldn't hesitate in changing the position of things as soon as you feel pain or any other uncomfortable sensation. 

Move Around

Don't make the huge mistake of trying to remain still throughout your working hours. We are mobile beings; therefore, the natural thing to do is to be in constant movement. 

One good tip to encourage movement and pepper standing desk posture is to play some music while working. This might give you some freedom to dance and move around without losing focus on your job.

You can also opt for having a device that counts how many steps you take on a day so you can make sure to do at least the minimum recommended amount.

Ergonomic Shoes

Getting yourself a good pair of ergonomic shoes is great if you don't have an anti-fatigue mat to get a proper standing desk posture. These shoes are specifically created to give you all the support you need to achieve a neutral body position and ease any tension you may feel on your knees or other joints. 

However, this may be a better option if you're working from home, as ergonomic shoes aren't too appealing to the eye. In other instances, the best option is still an anti-fatigue mat that gives you extra padding under your feet and encourages you to remain active.

Benefits of Standing Desks

Sitting for long periods of time is linked to several health problems, one of which is obesity. This happens because your caloric intake is higher than the number of calories you burn throughout the day. When using a standing desk, you become more active, which allows you to burn up to 170 more calories. This adds up to almost 1000 calories per week from just standing. 

After a while of using your standing desk, your metabolism may start to speed up too, as this is a natural consequence of an active life. It has also been proven that it can help lower the sugar levels in your blood by up to 43%. Therefore, it is a great method to prevent type two diabetes. 

Additionally, since 1953, scientists have been studying the benefits that standing has on your heart and circulation. They determined that sitting down all day could cause terrible repercussions on your cardiac health. It's not as simple as just hitting the gym for a couple of hours after working, as the damage done after an entire day of sitting could be permanent after a while.

Moreover, one of the main reasons you're probably considering using a standing desk is to stop the constant back pain caused by sitting all day. Some studies have shown that using these desks helps you ease the pain in your neck and upper and lower back up to 54% for a few weeks. Nonetheless, these effects could be reverted in a time frame of only two weeks if you go back to regular desks. 

Regardless, if you want to feel more active and lighten your mood, getting a standing desk is also a fantastic option and achieving a good standing desk posture is helpful for your health. Using these desks can greatly benefit your mental health by lowering your stress and fatigue and providing you with more energy. Some studies have shown a direct correlation between long periods of sitting and a higher risk of anxiety and depression. 

A great perk that may make your boss happy is that standing desks can also help you boost your productivity. Some people may be worried that the curve of standing desks may negatively impact your productivity, but as they boost your energy and help you feel better, it is more likely that you're able to focus more and get your work done in less time. 

All these benefits have a significant impact on many aspects of your health, which in the long run, can help you live a much happier and longer life.

Bottom Line

After reading this standing desk posture guide, you're all ready to make the best out of your electric standing desk and ensure the best ergonomic posture throughout your working hours. This way, you may receive complete comfort and even lengthen your life. 

If you're interested in acquiring a standing desk such as our SmartDesk Core or any other office gadget such as the Mount-It! Desk Converter, don't hesitate to check out our store and see everything we have to offer.