When I first heard about standing desks I just could not figure out how to work at a standing desk. The idea of not sitting down to work at a desk seemed totally crazy to me and it wasn’t until I actually tried it myself that I realized how easy it was to work at a standing desk.
If anything I actually prefer working at my standing desk now rather than sitting, although I will admit it’s not quite as comfortable! You get used to it so quickly and you’ll develop a “new normal” in your working routine.
I started this blog because I found it incredibly difficult to find good and honest blog posts about desk job weight loss, standing desks, and under desk treadmills. They were mostly just a load of random journalist articles who have used these things for a week to write a review, or people saying you need to “move more” to lose weight with a desk job.
You and I both know that’s not enough to help when you’re desperate to lose weight with a sedentary lifestyle. And if you’re here, I’m going to assume you’re interested in mixing it up with a standing desk. So…
Here are my best HONEST tips on how to work at a standing desk…
Adjust the height of your standing desk
Whether you’ve got a standing desk in the office or you’ve set one up at home, make sure you take the time to adjust the height of your standing desk so it’s the correct height for you to work at your standing desk without experiencing any physical discomfort.
This will vary for everyone but as a general rule I recommend your standing desk to be elbow height with multiple levels so your monitor can be slightly higher (at eye level) with your keyboard below it (at elbow level) so you can comfortably type and work while using your standing desk. This will cover you for reading e-mails, writing e-mails, coding, designing, and anything else you might be doing where you’re going to need both of these tools at the correct height for you as an individual.
Wear the correct shoes for your standing desk
From day one I have been using shoes with my standing desk and haven’t experienced a lot of common issues that come up relating to foot pain and aches.
The BEST shoes for your standing desk are sneakers. Ideally the kind you’d wear to go running, to train at the gym… you get the idea. A standard pair of Converse or sandals are not going to cut it and don’t even THINK about wearing heels for this lady! The goal is to be standing for long periods of time and you need shoes that will keep your feet cushioned as you do so.
Take breaks from your standing desk
Similar to sitting at your desk for long periods of time without moving, working at a standing desk for long periods of time isn’t always a good thing. Although it’s worth noting you will naturally move more when using a standing desk anyway because you’ll likely hop from foot to foot, take more regular bathroom breaks and things that require a lot less effort from standing, it’s also important you take breaks.
I recommend taking coffee breaks every couple of hours where you sit down and maybe even do a light stretch before you return to your standing desk. This will ensure you’re not wearing out your leg muscles too much or burning out too quickly!
Use an anti-fatigue mat under your standing desk
If you’ve read any of my other blog posts, you’ll know I use an under desk treadmill with my standing desk so I don’t need an anti-fatigue mat but I can tell you that I’ve read a TON about anti-fatigue mats and if I wasn’t using my under desk treadmill, this is what I would be using.
You don’t need anything fancy for this, a basic anti-fatigue mat used for kitchens or other areas of the house will work just fine for your needs.
The idea behind the anti-fatigue mat is that they provide additional cushioning between you and the floor and when you’re standing for long periods of time it’s essential you cushion this as much as possible, especially if you’re working in a room with a hard floor!
Trial what work you can do at your standing desk
I’m a web designer which means that sometimes I’m lost in rows and rows of code. I’ll be honest with you and say that I do prefer to do most of my coding work once I’ve finished using my standing desk for the day. This is because I find it easier to focus and concentrate on tasks like this when I am sitting.
However, everything else I do in my day-to-day work can be done from standing. Writing e-mails, blog posts, reading e-mails, reports, and even graphic design.
In time, I’m hoping I’ll get used to coding from standing too, and then I won’t need sitting breaks for specific types of work but as I’m just starting with my desk job weight loss journey, I’m pretty happy with everything that has come naturally to do so far.
And there you have it! These are my 5 honest (tried and tested) tips on how to work at a standing desk. Let me know in the comments if you’re using a standing desk and any tips you’ve found useful!