I’m still standing (most of the time)
I remember quite some time ago my (at the time) physio would constantly tell me about the benefits of having a stand up desk (way before it became kind of trendy to have one).
I liked the idea but wasn’t sure if it would work in real life, I mean he was a physio so spent most of his day working on people as opposed to constantly working at a desk – what would he know about what desks would be beneficial for people who actually use a desk all day, day in day out?
However this year I had been seriously considering getting a stand up desk especially after I hurt my back and found it was more comfortable for me to work standing up. Obviously this is kind of tricky to do when your desk is designed to be sat at. So when we got around to upgrading our computers I asked if I could order a stand up desk and got the thumbs up.
I ordered (what they apparently call) a dynamic desk – eg it can easily transition from a stand up desk to a desk that you sit at with the push of a two buttons simultaneously, which according to the guy who installed it on site was to ensure the desk didn’t change position if you happened to accidentally knock a button and now I spend at least 80% of my working day standing up. Since changing to a dynamic desk, I’ve noticed how I no longer get a sore lower back or tight traps. In fact I usually only lower the desk at lunchtime so that I can eat at a “table” as I’m not a huge fan of eating standing up.
I will say that I’m extremely lucky to work in an environment where I can wear sneakers because there is no way I’d be wanting to stand up in heels all day! In fact, the day I wore my Nike Skyhi’s I ended up changing into my slippers. (I guess bare feet would have worked, but it’s pretty nippy in my office). I’ve found that through introducing a variety of positions into my work day I’ve got much better energy levels and focus and according to recent studies I’ve read, I now have healthier muscles, better digestion and immune function. I bet my boss is thinking it’s the best money he’s ever spent. 😉
Till next time
