Stand at a Standing Desk: How to Adjust the Right Posture

The way our body’s posture is while we are deeply delved into work makes a huge difference in our overall well-being. If you have a bad posture while working, you will end up having bad back problems alongside other problems related to posture.

Sitting for too long in your workspace is the biggest reason why many people complain of body pain at work. Standing desks are the best way to tackle this problem as they allow you to stand at a standing desk and work for as long as you’re comfortable. Once you’re tired of standing, you can get the desk back into a seating position.

The only problem with this arrangement is figuring out the best posture for your body in a workspace.

Importance of Good Posture When Stand at a Standing Desk

Having a good posture in your workspace is crucial to keep your body's curves and alignment in their natural place. When you have bad posture, your body will eventually get tired, and you will experience bad body pains. Here are the other benefits of having good posture at your workstation.

• Maintaining Healthy Eyesight

When your monitor and eyes are in perfect sync with one another, you will have better eyesight. With the right posture, you can prevent a lot of eye-related issues from emerging.

• Healthy Spine

Bad posture will quickly add back and neck pain into your life. If you utilize good posture in your life, you will avoid a lot of unnecessary pain.

• Great Gastrointestinal System

Sitting for long hours will put a lot of pressure on your digestive system, making it slow down. Therefore, you will begin to feel gassy and uncomfortable, taking a toll on your overall health.

Common Posture Mistakes of Standing Desk Posture

Given below are some of the most common posture mistakes you must avoid in an office.

• Too much Sitting

The biggest reason why we suggest the standing desk posture is that sitting for long hours will make your body get very uncomfortable. Using a standing desk and stand at a standing desk will make your body get the rest from sitting that it requires and will prove to have several health benefits.

• Standing Unnaturally

The reason why many people have to learn how to use a standing desk is that they tend to stand with their hips sticking out. Doing so will make your spine hurt as you'll be standing in an unnatural position.

How to Utilize Your Standing Desk Properly

We know the benefits of using a standing desk at work. However, we will have to learn how to stand at work while using such a desk. Given below are certain thing you must keep in mind while you stand at a standing desk at work.

1. Create Sitting and Standing Intervals

A standing desk can be used to both sit and stand. Therefore, you must know how long it is okay for you to sit and how long it is okay for you to sit while working on your desk. The best sitting and standing time breakdown is 40-20. This means, for every 40 minutes you sit on your desk, you must stand for 20 minutes.

The 40-20 technique will allow your body to not get used to or get tired of one state. It will allow your body to stay active and reactive at all times.

2. Create Presets

Adjusting to the right sitting and standing position every time you want to switch is not only tiring and time-consuming but also impractical. You should create presets for your sitting and standing positions. Make sure that you have marked the right heights for both your sitting and stand at a standing desk positions.

These presents should be marked ergonomically according to your height and your chair because you are the one who will be using them. Setting presets will save you a lot of time and energy that does into considering the right height every time you switch your working position.

3. The Perfect Elbow Height

The best way to know if you stand at a standing desk at the right height is to set it according to your elbow. The perfect standing desk setup should allow your elbows to be bent at a 90o angle. This angle will not allow your wrists, arms, hands, and shoulders to strain easily.

With the right angle, your fingers will move over your system’s keyboard easily and flexibly. Therefore, you will experience enhances typing and working speed, increasing your productivity.

4. Wrist Alignment and Arm Rest

If your wrist is not neutral and straight, you can develop issues such as a carpal tunnel. Your wrists should never be bending upward and downward on your keyboard. Your arms should be in a straight line from your elbow to your wrists, allowing the most comfortable position possible.

If you feel your arms getting tired, you can add an armrest to allow some relaxation to that part of your body that is changing almost all the time. Make sure that this rest allows your hands to be in a 90o ergonomic position as well.

5. Straight - But Not Too Much

While you stand at a standing desk, you should stand straight. However, maintaining the perfect S-curve of your spine is crucial to maintain long-term back alignment.

Remember to always stand straight and never have your butt sticking out. However, you must also ensure that your back and neck are not uncomfortably stretched. Craning your neck too high for extended periods will make your muscles hurt.

6. Stand on a Comfortable and Soft Surface

The biggest reason why standing is such a pain is that your feet tend to get stiff and tires, transferring the pain to your entire body. Placing a balance board or an anti-fatigue mat under your feet while working will let your body get as comfortable as possible while standing.

A soft and cushiony standing surface will allow your body to be comfortable in a standing position for long periods of time.

Endnotes

Standing desks are the future of ergonomics. They allow your body to be in comfortable seating and standing position according to your will. By only following simple tips and steps, you can be a pro at using a standing desk. Doing so will boost your productivity and overall health by promoting good posture.