You’re already aware of the benefits that a standing desk can offer. Your question now is, how should you use it?

How long you should stand is open for debate. However, some ergonomic and health experts generally agree on 20-minute intervals. Briefly standing for 5-20 minutes every hour causes muscle contractions in your back and legs. These contractions stimulate enzyme production that breaks down the fat in your bloodstream.  Starting out you may find that standing that period of time may be tiring. Listen to your body and sit down as needed.

Using Your Standing Desk For Fitness

Developing a routine around standing and sitting is one way to help improve your standing stamina. Start out standing for five-minute intervals, if that is all you can take. Then gradually increase the length of time standing. Having the right equipment helps transitioning from sitting to standing and back again much easier. Your standing desk should effortlessly rise and fall to accommodate changing positions without you having to strain.  Setting an egg timer to help you regulate your sitting and standing sessions is also helpful for developing a disciplined regimen.

Get a Sit-Stand Desk with Smooth Lift Technology for effortless transitioning.

Learning How to Sit

Learning how to sit properly, once you sit, is also an important part of a sit-stand regimen. Slumping forward, also know as “vulture neck” can put a strain on neck and back muscles and cause pain. Poorly positioning your legs and feet under your desk can also lead to painful cramping.

When sitting, be sure to sit up straight (your mother was right after all). Keep your shoulders back and balance your body weight so it is evenly distributed on both your hips. In other words, be aware if you are unconsciously leaning to one side in your office chair and make the correction. For additional support, you can add an ergonomic backrest to your chair. Lumbar backrests maintain the normal curves in your back while sitting and help train your body on proper posture.  For your legs, be sure to bend your knees at a right angle, with feet flat on the floor. You can also invest in a footrest to offer additional support.