Standing Desks

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#1

So, I am looking at proposing the office get a few standing (stand-up) desks, or at the very least, for myself. I do not like sitting all the time, my legs get tired, knees get sore, it’s not very collaborative and quite isolating.

Some points I would like to bring to support my argument would be (high level without going into too much detail on each):

  • Lowers risk or weight gain and obesity
  • May lower blood sugar levels
  • May lower risk of heart disease
  • Reduce back pain
  • Helps improve mood and energy levels
  • Boost productivity

By reducing sedentary time, we can improve physical, metabolic and even mental health. Sitting less and standing more is such an important lifestyle change. This is not to say everyone should do it, or that it should be done all the time, try and split your day 50/50 to standing and sitting. Most standing desks have the ability to be adjusted to height, so even if placed in a more social or open space, which creates an opportunity for ad-hoc quick meetings or discussions.

So, do you have any feedback or input you would like to share with regards to this? I feel this is not standard practices in businesses and should be more strongly emphasised within the workspace. Have you had any experiences with standing desks? Please share.

eg.

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#2

It varies from person to person as to how well it works. For me, it doesn’t. I get back and shoulder pain, my knees get really sore and I never quite know where to put my elbows.

Other people love them.

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#3

Yeah, completely agree with you there. Each to their own. Also why I’m not suggesting everyone gets one, just get like 3 to put into the open spaces for people to make use of if they so desire. We all work on laptops here with external screens.

But yeah, still great to see and hear others’ opinions and discussions regarding it. Thanks :slight_smile:

#4

Thinking of it in more detail: if your office has people coming in and working for short periods of time on laptops before heading out again on calls etc. then the standing desk is perfect.

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#5

Standing and working is not for me, i can easily stay standing for two hours straight but when i am standing and working i struggle to concentrate, my feet get sore, back hurts and my arms start to get tired as i have no place to rest them.

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#6

I’m in two minds about this.

On the one hand they say that sitting is the new smoking.

On the other hand there are a lot of old Greeks in my building that stood all day in the cafe and they have back problems.

I know I can’t sit for the whole day though need to get up and move.

Maybe those desks that you can adjust between standing and sitting.

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#7

I personally don’t like standing desks, but for people complaining that their feet get sore, look into cushioned floor mats. They are like those squishy mouse pad rests that some people use, but more firm obviously. They’re supposed to spread the load on your feet and help with back fatigue.

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#8

We have them at the shop - I couldnt do a 12 hour shift without those mats.

#9

I have this one

Cheaper, flat packs away out of sight. Great for relocating to a different desk. The height adjustment, allows for laptop/screen/2nd screen/keyboard/mouse variation. Obviously you just plonk it down on top of your existing desk.

Used to spend around 3 hours a day standing, broken up in 2. So sit, stand, sit, stand. If I’m collaborating, I’d tend to stand. If I needed to focus with a whiteboard, I’d set it up next to the whiteboard. I would change my desk arrangement weekly. It was an absolute pleasure using it. As a person who likes roaming, it was ideal.

I don’t use it anymore, cos I changed jobs, and it doesn’t really fit with the new office.

Standing in general: don’t stand for too long. It’s hard on something. Maybe your feet, maybe your knees. Depends on you. My understanding of posture, and it’s related ailments, is its the duration that kills you. So don’t sit for too long. But don’t stand for too long either.

Placement. What helps you work? Looking at a wall maybe great. Or looking out a window. How your desk fits with your colleagues around you. It can be awkward if your standing and a female colleague had to look at your nether regions for 2 hours a day. I bring this up, because colleagues are sometimes annoyed with standing desks. It can be distracting for them.

For the love of all that is holy, get wireless earphones, if you listen to audio while working. If you don’t, get more insurance on what it’s plug into. My last phone went bungee’ing off the desk.

As a side note, their workmanship is fantastic, so I bought the moerse desk they sell, too. It’s excellent.

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#10

This is great feedback and information, thanks for your input.

It obviously raises questions (and I have watched the video), but it looks as though you would have to continually adjust or move your screen if you’re transitioning from standing to sitting. Surely the screen being on top (highest) most shelf, while you can move laptop down along with keyboard and mouse when in sitting position.

#11

It could also do with posture. A lot of people have bad posture, standing or sitting and that puts pressure on knees, heels etc…

#12

Entirely possible, I am rather short so therefor the height of my chair may not be ideal and therefor putting strain on the under side of my thighs, knees and feet. :man_shrugging:

#13

I would decide how I’m going to setup for the day, which wouldn’t always need a screen. Keyboard and mouse are Bluetooth. Sometimes I had 2 screens plugged in, sometimes only 1.

But 100%, it’s more effort adjusting. Laptop was 17”. Standing I tend to stand closer, so the 17” @1080p was a nice size to work on at that distance. There was a 27” and 2x 23” to choose from. All 1080p.

What you should do is trying to workout spatially how it would be with your choice. Guessing is bad. You need raise you laptop, screens and keyboard/mouse to the approximate height. All the measurements are on the products. Go stack some big ass boxes. Take note of how you stand. How you sit. Transitioning, what is too much effort for you? Easiest, would be if you knew someone with a desk or contraption already. If you were in Cape Town, you would be welcome to check mine out in person.

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#14

I might just take you up on that :wink:

Also, thanks a whole heep for the assistance and feedback, much appreciated.