If you work in an office, you know how demanding it might be. At the end of every working day, your back aches, the head seems to be exploding, and the wrists and fingers get stiff.

Let alone such issues as gaining weight, losing motivation, getting stressed. However, all these issues can be partly or eliminated. There are also different types of desks designed to alleviate these problems, with a standing desk being one of the most popular solutions.

If your manager can consider refurbishing the office, it is a perfect solution to the problem. If this is not the case though, you can consider switching to a remote position and arranging a convenient office at home.

Why a Standing Desk?

Recent researches show that a standing desk if made and set up properly, can solve many sitting-related health issues. Among the most common problems that office workers face is:

• Constant headaches;
• Pain in the back;
• Pain in wrists and fingers;
• Weight gain;
• Loss of concentration.

These challenges cause a productivity drop. Thus, both lose:

• An employee because during a given time, he/she can handle less work;
• A company because the employees are not as efficient as they can be.

A usual height-adjustable desk with a modern-looking metal table frame can solve these issues.

Adjust the Desk and Move on to Improving Your Health Condition

To make your new item work, adjust it properly. Make sure the desktop is at the level of your elbows when lifted. The monitor shall be installed so that you do not need to lift or lower your head when reading or writing. If needed, consider installing a special adjustable monitor stand.

Just standing does not improve your condition a lot. When you are sitting, your spine does not have a chance to take its natural shape but needs to adjust to the chair shape.

But when you are standing constantly, it also can lead to significant discomfort, too. Your back is loaded too much, as well as legs. Prolonged standing periods might lead to back-aches, too, but the causes will be different. The same is valid to legs. That standing all the time is too tiring and after a while, you will simply not be able to work.

The idea of using a height-adjustable desk is in using it properly. You can change the sitting and standing position to avoid muscle stiffness. Also, such changes provide some relief to your back and improve the blood circulation.

A standing desk is good to exercise. Some people are too shy to exercise in front of their colleagues, and a standing desk allows doing exercises secretly.

Here are some of the simplest exercises you can do without being noticed by your colleagues:

• Calf raising: in a standing position, raise your heels. Wait a little bit and lower them slowly. Repeat as many times as you feel comfortable. The next time try to do more repetitions.
• Shoulders stretching: place one arm across your chest. Now, under the arm and in front of it, place the other arm. Hold the arms in this position for a while. Reverse the arms and repeat. You do not need to make a lot of repetitions, just do it as many times as you want. This exercise is great to relax your back muscles.
• Chest stretching: move your hands behind your back and clasp them. Straighten the arms. Lift them as high as you can. The shoulders shall be drawn downwards. Hold up to 10 seconds. Relax. Repeat a couple of times more.
• Lifting on toes: this is the simplest exercise, but its efficiency is amazing. Raise on your toes. Wait some seconds. Come on your heels. Repeat 10-20 times depending on how you feel.

Remember though that no exercise shall cause discomfort or pain.

Once you gain confidence, you can move to more complex exercises. We believe that at this stage, your colleagues will see your results and will willingly join you.

These exercises will not only help to improve the general physical condition. In the long run, they will help prevent the development of more serious medical conditions such as diabetes, heart attack, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer.

What Benefits You Get with Time?

You shall not expect immediate results. Neither they will be seen within a couple of weeks. But after a month or two, you will notice significant improvement in your general condition.

With time, you will see that headaches have gone, as well as back-aches and pains in the neck, and the efficiency has boosted. These reasons are good enough to consider switching to a height-adjustable desk, aren’t they?

About The Author

Hayley Mann is a technology enthusiast specializing in automation methods of ergonomics devices. Her engineering background helps her to create interesting articles on technical topics, making them understandable for all readers.