When you are shopping for a standing desk, or already have it at home, the most important thing you can do is move your standing desk to the correct height. The whole reason you got a standing desk is for a healthier lifestyle, but if you don’t set your standing desk up at the proper height, you could be missing out on the ergonomic benefits of the right standing desk posture.
The Right Standing Desk Height
You may not know how to measure your standing desk, but with these simple steps and adjustments you’ll be at the right ergonomic height in no time.
standing desk posture
Standing Desk Posture
1. Start with the elbows- While your feet are flat on the floor in front of the standing desk, slowly elevate the desktop height until your elbows are at 90 degrees. Your wrists should be hovering just above the keyboard with your forearms parallel to the floor.
2. Line up the monitor- Once the desktop is at the right height, now you can position the monitors. Line to the top of the screen to be just above your eye line. You don’t want to strain your neck by either looking up or down. You should be looking directly at the screen without having to tilt your neck to see any of it. Also, your screen should be titled by about 20 degrees. When you think you have your monitor at the right height, extend your arm out and your fingertips should just touch the screen surface.
standing desk posture
Bad Posture To Avoid With A Standing Desk
Just look at this picture of a man with bad sitting posture. His shoulders are hunched and he’s leaning far too close to his screen. Don’t even get me started on his pushed out elbows. All of this carries over for when you are working at a standing desk. Your shoulders should be relaxed and balanced on top of your body. your head should be directly over your shoulders, not pushed forward, and your pelvis should be lined up with your spine. It may feel tempting to lean on your standing desk or have all of your weight on one hip, but those bad posture habits will make you uncomfortable and take away from the health benefits of your standing desk.
treadmill desk posture
The Right Treadmill Desk Height
The good news is if you have a treadmill desk, these same height rules apply. Make sure you stand on the treadmill as you are adjusting the height. To keep your good posture, make sure to have a slow treadmill setting until you feel comfortable enough to raise the speed. Going too fast too soon may result in you leaning on the desktop surface to keep your wrists steady and that translates to bad standing desk posture.
Why A Height Adjustable Desk Is Great For Ergonomics
A power height adjustable desk like the Xdesk standing desk lets you change the height to exactly what you need with the touch of a button. With stationary standing desks, or tabletop additions, you are stuck at the one height for standing, which may not be what your body needs. The ability to change the height of your standing desk lets you have a custom-made height whether you are sitting or standing. For maximum comfort and spot-on ergonomics, the Xdesk standing desk is built to be the one size fits all standing desk. All the heights, in one desk.
