Stand-Up Desks Rise to Health Challenges
Sitting all day may be wrecking your health. Are you going to stand for that?
Mike Elgan
June 12, 2012
Houzz Contributor. I'm a Silicon Valley-based writer, columnist and blogger, covering technology and culture. http://elgan.com
Houzz Contributor. I'm a Silicon Valley-based writer, columnist and blogger, covering... More
Trends in work, leisure and technology have conspired to turn us all into sitters. We sit at work. We sit at school. We sit while at home. And we sit in the car while conveying our expanding bodies from one sitting location to another.
All this sitting is devastating our health, creating disease and shortening lives. Sitting is the new smoking.
There's a persistent myth about ergonomics, which is that sitting pain and injury comes from bad posture. You've seen the workplace safety diagrams. The screen should be at eye level. Forearms and wrists should be horizontal. Feet should be elevated. Back should be straight.
The truth is that there is no correct sitting position. Sitting injuries are mostly "repetitive stress injuries" or caused by the atrophy of muscles needed to support the skeleton. Always sitting in the so-called "correct" posture guarantees injury, because you're always sitting in the same position, and therefore not moving.
That's why a standing desk is so good for you. Our bodies are designed to stand for long periods of time. And we automatically shift our weight and move around while standing. Standing prevents both the repetitive stress and muscle atrophy that caused by sitting.
Our own homes are part of the problem. They’re often designed around the assumption that we want to sit all the time. Comfy couches. Padded bar stools. Lounge and lawn chairs in the backyard. Porch swings. Home office and desk chairs. Vanity stools in the bedroom. You’d think our homes were furnished by a bunch of rear ends.
Conventional interior decorating makes sitting almost a necessity. If we want to eat, watch TV, work or do any number of other activities in the home, sitting down is the only reasonable way to do it.
Furniture is part of the problem. But furniture can also be the solution.
As computers and the Internet become more important, people are spending more time online and less time doing other things. By harnessing this one thing and transforming it into a standing activity, instead of a sitting one, you can reverse the trend of sitting too much.
All this sitting is devastating our health, creating disease and shortening lives. Sitting is the new smoking.
There's a persistent myth about ergonomics, which is that sitting pain and injury comes from bad posture. You've seen the workplace safety diagrams. The screen should be at eye level. Forearms and wrists should be horizontal. Feet should be elevated. Back should be straight.
The truth is that there is no correct sitting position. Sitting injuries are mostly "repetitive stress injuries" or caused by the atrophy of muscles needed to support the skeleton. Always sitting in the so-called "correct" posture guarantees injury, because you're always sitting in the same position, and therefore not moving.
That's why a standing desk is so good for you. Our bodies are designed to stand for long periods of time. And we automatically shift our weight and move around while standing. Standing prevents both the repetitive stress and muscle atrophy that caused by sitting.
Our own homes are part of the problem. They’re often designed around the assumption that we want to sit all the time. Comfy couches. Padded bar stools. Lounge and lawn chairs in the backyard. Porch swings. Home office and desk chairs. Vanity stools in the bedroom. You’d think our homes were furnished by a bunch of rear ends.
Conventional interior decorating makes sitting almost a necessity. If we want to eat, watch TV, work or do any number of other activities in the home, sitting down is the only reasonable way to do it.
Furniture is part of the problem. But furniture can also be the solution.
As computers and the Internet become more important, people are spending more time online and less time doing other things. By harnessing this one thing and transforming it into a standing activity, instead of a sitting one, you can reverse the trend of sitting too much.
Almost-Standing Desks
If standing for hours on end sounds like a pain in the ... well, in the feet, then consider a compromise. Some desks are designed to put more weight onto your feet — but not all of it.
For example, the Focal Locus chair and desk setup puts you in a position that’s more standing than sitting, with a forward-leaning chair. You still get many of the benefits of a standing desk without having to stand all day.
You can also opt for a real standing desk, but add a Wilkhahn chair called the Stitz. The chair provides support, but it’s deliberately unstable, forcing you to move and flex during your workday.
If standing for hours on end sounds like a pain in the ... well, in the feet, then consider a compromise. Some desks are designed to put more weight onto your feet — but not all of it.
For example, the Focal Locus chair and desk setup puts you in a position that’s more standing than sitting, with a forward-leaning chair. You still get many of the benefits of a standing desk without having to stand all day.
You can also opt for a real standing desk, but add a Wilkhahn chair called the Stitz. The chair provides support, but it’s deliberately unstable, forcing you to move and flex during your workday.
Standing Desks: An American Tradition
Stand-up desks are becoming trendy in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. But they’re not really a new idea. In fact, stand-up desks used to be much more common.
Earnest Hemingway preferred a stand-up desk. And though Thomas Jefferson invented a really cool swivel chair, he too often worked standing up. Even D.J. DePree, founder of Herman Miller, preferred to stand while working.
Just as the stand-up-desk idea is both modern and traditional, actual desks can be either modern or traditional. Some of the more “modern” stand-up desks — most of them, in fact — are horrible, utilitarian monstrosities you probably wouldn’t want in your home.
Many stand-up desk users have in fact build their own — not through the craft of furniture making, but by kludging together some expedient solution, such as stacking boards on top of bookshelves — that sort of thing.
But you can also find beautiful desks that honor the traditional American stand-up desk. For example, the Simple Pleasure Standing Desk by Sabbath-Day Woods Studio is both traditional and appealing, a beautiful addition to your home.
Stand-up desks are becoming trendy in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. But they’re not really a new idea. In fact, stand-up desks used to be much more common.
Earnest Hemingway preferred a stand-up desk. And though Thomas Jefferson invented a really cool swivel chair, he too often worked standing up. Even D.J. DePree, founder of Herman Miller, preferred to stand while working.
Just as the stand-up-desk idea is both modern and traditional, actual desks can be either modern or traditional. Some of the more “modern” stand-up desks — most of them, in fact — are horrible, utilitarian monstrosities you probably wouldn’t want in your home.
Many stand-up desk users have in fact build their own — not through the craft of furniture making, but by kludging together some expedient solution, such as stacking boards on top of bookshelves — that sort of thing.
But you can also find beautiful desks that honor the traditional American stand-up desk. For example, the Simple Pleasure Standing Desk by Sabbath-Day Woods Studio is both traditional and appealing, a beautiful addition to your home.
Stand-Up Desk Tips
There has in recent years been a broad trend away from "desktop" PCs toward laptops and other mobile computers. But buying a laptop for a stand-up desk isn't ideal, because the goal is to incentivize standing. If family members can simply grab a laptop and plunk themselves down on the sofa in front of the TV, all fails.
Also, a laptop used without a stand-alone keyboard places the screen very low, just above your hands, which is uncomfortable to use.
So it’s a good idea to buy a desktop PC for a stand-up desk.
All-in-one computers, such as the Apple iMac line or the Dell XPS One 27, are very good choices for stand-up computers. The reason is that USB ports, DVD drives and other features are more accessible, as they're built into the monitor. It also solves the problem of where to put the CPU — that big box that everything plugs into on a regular PC — because there isn't one!
It's easy for PCs of any kind to bring ugly visual clutter into your home, especially wires and cables all over the place. You can avoid some of this by choosing a PC with a wireless (Bluetooth) keyboard and mouse or trackpad.
Stand-up desks can be incredible space-saving devices compared with a regular desk and chair. Although the desks are taller, they can be smaller. And the elimination of the chair saves a lot of space, too. Hemingway’s stand-up desk was usually just the top of a bookshelf.
Another option is just a wall-mounted shelf, with the monitor mounted on the wall.
And if you do choose a real desk, you can do just fine with the most minimal of surfaces. One beautiful option, the Nathan Rose Standing Desk, is incredibly rustic, with rough cherry tree branches as legs. The surface of the desk is very small, but there's plenty of room for a keyboard and a monitor.
There has in recent years been a broad trend away from "desktop" PCs toward laptops and other mobile computers. But buying a laptop for a stand-up desk isn't ideal, because the goal is to incentivize standing. If family members can simply grab a laptop and plunk themselves down on the sofa in front of the TV, all fails.
Also, a laptop used without a stand-alone keyboard places the screen very low, just above your hands, which is uncomfortable to use.
So it’s a good idea to buy a desktop PC for a stand-up desk.
All-in-one computers, such as the Apple iMac line or the Dell XPS One 27, are very good choices for stand-up computers. The reason is that USB ports, DVD drives and other features are more accessible, as they're built into the monitor. It also solves the problem of where to put the CPU — that big box that everything plugs into on a regular PC — because there isn't one!
It's easy for PCs of any kind to bring ugly visual clutter into your home, especially wires and cables all over the place. You can avoid some of this by choosing a PC with a wireless (Bluetooth) keyboard and mouse or trackpad.
Stand-up desks can be incredible space-saving devices compared with a regular desk and chair. Although the desks are taller, they can be smaller. And the elimination of the chair saves a lot of space, too. Hemingway’s stand-up desk was usually just the top of a bookshelf.
Another option is just a wall-mounted shelf, with the monitor mounted on the wall.
And if you do choose a real desk, you can do just fine with the most minimal of surfaces. One beautiful option, the Nathan Rose Standing Desk, is incredibly rustic, with rough cherry tree branches as legs. The surface of the desk is very small, but there's plenty of room for a keyboard and a monitor.
The Perfect Stand-Up Desk?
The Stilvoll Crescendo C2 Maximus is a wonderfully versatile stand-up desk made in Germany of American walnut. The desk has two sides and slides apart in the middle. On one side is an optional tilt-up writing desk. The other is flat.
When you slide them apart, there’s a storage compartment. A gap between the two sides, plus the storage compartment, combine to give you a great place to stash cables, external hard drives, a power strip and other unsightly accessories. It comes with cigar-box-size wood compartments for storing miscellaneous items above the computer stuff. All this storage is very high in the table, so it appears like the compartment isn't even there.
This is a great table for use in the middle of a room, or by two people at once.
More:
How Bluetooth 4.0 Will Change Remote Control Around the House
The Stilvoll Crescendo C2 Maximus is a wonderfully versatile stand-up desk made in Germany of American walnut. The desk has two sides and slides apart in the middle. On one side is an optional tilt-up writing desk. The other is flat.
When you slide them apart, there’s a storage compartment. A gap between the two sides, plus the storage compartment, combine to give you a great place to stash cables, external hard drives, a power strip and other unsightly accessories. It comes with cigar-box-size wood compartments for storing miscellaneous items above the computer stuff. All this storage is very high in the table, so it appears like the compartment isn't even there.
This is a great table for use in the middle of a room, or by two people at once.
More:
How Bluetooth 4.0 Will Change Remote Control Around the House
Related Stories
Trending Now
The 10 Most Popular Home Offices So Far in 2024
By Julie Sheer
Get inspired by these stylish workspaces where designers pair comfort with practicality
Full Story
Organizing
How to Create a Joyful, Clutter-Free Home Office
Follow these steps to get rid of the paper piles and make room for beauty and better organization
Full Story
Lighting
4 Steps to Getting Your Home Office Lighting Right
By David Warfel
Learn the mix of lighting types you can use to create a productive and comfortable workspace
Full Story
Organizing
How to Set Up Your Home Office on Nearly Any Budget
Control clutter in your workspace with home office ideas that address your storage needs and work with your budget
Full Story
Trending Now
The 10 Most Popular Home Offices of 2023
By Julie Sheer
Discover stylish ways to optimize space, hide cords and equipment and elevate productivity from these most-saved photos
Full Story
Houzz Call
Show Us Your Hardworking Home Office
If you’re in charge of your cables and have shown clutter who’s boss in your work-from-home space, we want to see it!
Full Story
New This Week
5 Functional and Fashionable Home Offices
Designers share strategies for concealing cords and office equipment while emphasizing stylish furniture and decor
Full Story
Trending Now
The 10 Most Popular Home Offices of Spring 2023
Get ideas for compact setups, multipurpose layouts and stylish color palettes from these most-saved new photos on Houzz
Full Story
Trending Now
Top 10 Home Offices So Far in 2023
By Becky Harris
Houzz readers took note of functional built-ins, light-filled spaces and smart ways to set up a multipurpose room
Full Story
Trending Now
The Top 10 Home Offices of 2022
By Julie Sheer
See smart storage and style solutions for creating a home workspace from the most-saved home office photos of the year
Full Story
When I renovated my workspace I opted for a 30" high desk with a semi sitting stool. It took some getting used to but I am much happier now. I have less issues with my back. The only thing I still need would be some type of movable arm for my computer screen so I can change the angle. The paint cans it's sitting on are a temporary solution.
Hoping to have mine delivered by the end of the year
www.altwork.com
I would recommend a monitor arm that is height and width adjustable. It can be grommet mounted and it is available for single or dual monitors. While it's not as creative as the paint cans, it does offer more flexibility.