The adjustable monitor arm takes your standing desk to the next level.

So you have your adjustable height desk or standing desk, you have your adjustable keyboard tray, and yet … you still feel like you could be more comfortable and more aligned. So what can you do besides stack your monitor on a pile of shoe boxes?

Get an adjustable monitor arm. At Xdesk, we offer two options: the Solo Monitor arm, for those of you with one monitor, and the Mondo Monitor arm, for those of you who use two monitors.

Here’s why you should be using an adjustable monitor arm if you’re not already:

1) You don’t want to strain your neck by peering at the monitor in a fixed position. A Xdesk adjustable monitor arm will allow you to adjust the height, depth, and in most cases, the angle of your monitor to get it at the healthiest and most comfortable position for your body.

2) Clear up the clutter. If you already have an adjustable height desk from Xdesk, you know that a clutter-free design is important to us. All of the wires, gears, and things that make your desk move so smoothly, are, well, hidden.

So why clutter up your beautiful adjustable height desk with a clunky monitor on top of it, just taking up space? Maximize the space on your desk with an adjustable monitor arm.

3) Adjustable monitor arms are versatile. Rather than setting a stack of boxes on your desk to lift your monitor to the perfect height (which believe me, doesn’t work), an adjustable monitor arm allows complete flexibility and versatility. Even if you share your ergonomic workstation with others, the adjustable monitor arm will move to meet individual needs.

4) Your adjustable height desk works best with a monitor arm. If you have an adjustable height desk, you need to be able to adjust your monitor to the optimal viewing position for either standing or sitting.

This can change depending on what height your desk is set to, so a monitor arm is not just another “accessory” for your adjustable height desk, but it is also necessary.

5) Your Xdesk Fit will work better with a monitor arm. Just like with an adjustable height desk, if you use a treadmill desk, it will work best for your body if you use an adjustable monitor arm. Not only will your posture be better, but what about for those times when you don’t want to be walking on the treadmill at your desk?

With an adjustable monitor arm, you can turn the monitor around 360 degrees and work from a standing position or even a chair on the other side of the desk. Pretty neat, huh?

If you already have your adjustable height desk, standing desk, or treadmill desk and you still feel something is missing, well, chances are, it is a monitor arm. Check them out online today.

Do you use an adjustable monitor arm with your ergonomic workstation? How do you like it?

The post The Top 5 Reasons Why You Need an Adjustable Monitor Arm appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

What do you do to remain active at work?

Ah, Spring Time. The weather is getting warmer, the birds are chirping at all hours of the day, the streets smell like flowers, and every time you walk outside there is a bit of a bounce in your step. Because, well, why shouldn’t there be? Life is grand! The world is beautiful!

Unfortunately, your boss didn’t get the memo, and you still have to come into work every day while the sun is shining outside.

If this situation sounds familiar, I have two suggestions for you:

1) Get outside when you can during work and enjoy the perfect weather. For anyone else based in the south, you know that you better get outside and enjoy it before it is too hot!

2) Use an adjustable height desk or even a treadmill desk during the work hours that you are required to be inside.

After all, just because you’re inside doesn’t mean you should be stuck sitting at your computer!

But I like sitting, you think as you sit in your chair reading these words. What’s the problem?

Well, I’ll tell you the problem(s):

• More than one-third of Americans are obese.
• The rate of Type 2 Diabetes has increased 176 percent since 1980.
• Only 3-5 percent of people meet the minimum recommendations of physical activity (150 minutes of moderate activity per week), and 33 percent are completely sedentary.
• Heart disease, regularly brought on by poor diet, lack of activity, and excess weight, is the leading cause of death in the US
• Obesity and inactivity are responsible for 300,000 premature deaths and over $90 billion in direct health care costs each year.

Now if that didn’t get you standing up at your desk, I don’t know what will.

And of course, when you can, get outside and take a walk—listen to the birds, feel the sun on your face, breathe the fresh air. Ah!

But until your boss starts allowing walking meetings 100 percent of the time and Monday-Friday work from the park days, I suggest you look into an adjustable or walking desk. And maybe ask for an office with a window you can open.

What are your solutions to staying active while at work? Do you use a walking desk or adjustable height desk?

Sources: NIH.gov, CDC.gov

The post Spring into Better Health appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

Adjustable height desks improve your physical and mental health.

In our previous post we introduced Xdesk and some of the benefits of an adjustable height desk. Today we’ll get a bit more specific. Why should you care about getting an adjustable height desk, and more particularly, why a Xdesk? Let me count the ways…

1)      Sitting drains your physical energy. The typical American spends almost 95% of their day sitting. This is not only uncomfortable, but it also has a serious effect on your overall energy. If you have a sit-down job, you know what I’m talking about. After just half an hour of sitting, you can start to feel lethargic and uncomfortable. Ideally, you’d be able to move around throughout your day — go for a stroll, maybe take an hour for a jog, do some yoga… But let’s be real: in the typical workday, you don’t have every other hour off for downward dog. That’s where the adjustable height desk comes in. Alternating between standing and sitting will give you more energy, during and after work. 

2)      Sitting drains your mental energy. Not only does sitting for long periods of time drain your physical energy, but it also makes your brain… eh… what’s the word? Oh, slower. (Sorry, I’ve been sitting for a while, I guess I should stand up.) Ah, that’s better. Alternating between standing and sitting gets the blood circulating, revs up your physical energy, and allows you to be more productive at work. Not only that, but with the Xdesk adjustable height desk, the transition from sitting to standing is so smooth, you won’t even have to take a break in your task, making you that much more efficient.

3)      Sitting makes you fat. Okay, if gaining physical and mental energy is not reason enough for you to consider the Xdesk adjustable height desk, this should get your attention. Research shows that by simply sitting down you are shutting off the fat-absorbing enzyme, lipase. Just imagine what sitting for hours on end is doing! Don’t want to? Well, I’ll go ahead and tell you — I hope you’re sitting down for this! (Or not…) When you are sitting your metabolism slows down, burning only about 1 measly calorie per hour.

But there is hope for you yet — with an adjustable height desk like Xdesk you can move between standing and sitting throughout your day, the optimal combination for your metabolism. By standing you’re burning an extra 60 calories per hour. When alternating between standing and sitting, you’re speeding up your metabolism even while you’re seated. Just by introducing this combination of standing and sitting into your life, you could lose about 20 pounds per year.

4)      Sitting can cause disease. As briefly mentioned above, sitting causes your body’s fat burning enzyme, lipase, to shut down. This not only leads to weight gain, but to diseases like diabetes and heart disease. When you engage your muscles by standing, lipase is distributed and you start using your blood glucose. Studies show this can discourage the development of such diseases.

We hear about our nation’s problem with obesity everyday and we see it with our own eyes. Experts say that it isn’t just diet and lack of exercise that are the root of the problem, but simply sitting around for too long. And that’s not the worst of it either.

5)      Sitting can cause earlier death. Here’s a statistic that should grab your attention: If you sit for more than three hours a day, you are likelier to have a shorter lifespan. If you sit for more than six hours a day, you have a 37 percent increased risk of early mortality. This may sound a bit over-dramatic, but the truth is, sitting for long periods of time is killing us!

6)      Alternating between standing and sitting is the key. We know how bad sitting for long periods of time can be, but if you’re thinking, “Okay, I’ll just start standing all day,” think again! It’s the combination of standing and sitting, of alternating, of moving that gives us that boost in energy, metabolism, and overall health. If you stand for eight hours a day straight, your feet, legs, and back will be screaming — if you sit for that long, well, you’ll feel just as bad. So combine the two.

7)      An adjustable height desk is the solution. With any adjustable height desk you can alternate between a high and low setting, but with the Xdeskyou can do so with ease, moving your desk from high to low as easily as moving from standing to sitting. There aren’t only two or three settings with the Xdesk. Push a button and move your desk to any height you’d like, as often as you’d like.

When I first started using my adjustable height desk, I’d alternate: about thirty minutes of standing, then about an hour of sitting. As time has gone on, though, I’ve switched it. I’ll stand for about an hour, and then sit for about 15-30 minutes to break it up. And then maybe dance around for five (strictly to get the blood flowing, you know…) It really is up to you.

8)      Xdesk is not only good for you, but also good for the environment. Xdesk is the only adjustable height desk on the market that uses such sustainable materials as recycled aluminum and bamboo. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing and most easily replenished woods on the planet, and recycled aluminum can be reused over and over for centuries—which is not only good for the environment, but also pretty cool. Imagine how old the aluminum in your Xdesk might be!

9)      Xdesk is stunning and sleek in design. When you buy an adjustable height desk, you are making an investment, not just in a desk, but also in your health, your productivity, and in your life. Shouldn’t it make sense that you get the best quality, value, the coolest looking adjustable height desk on the market?

Xdesk is sleek, it moves silently and smoothly, and there are no bulky parts, wires, or gears showing. Reading over that, I realize that this description sounds more apt for a new sports car than a piece of office furniture, but that’s what Xdesk is: it is the luxury car of office furniture.

10)  Xdesk is the height of technology. With the touch of a button, the Xdesk adjustable height desk moves smoothly, quietly, and quickly at an impressive 1.7 inches per second. And did I say smoothly? I meant smooooothly! You won’t even have to worry about spilling your morning cup of coffee.

It does this with dual 18-volt DC motors (which are also energy efficient) and drive chains. These drive chains also make your Xdesk one of the strongest adjustable height desks on the market, able to lift a modest 315-630 pounds depending on the model. No big deal.

Sitting is a huge contributor to our country’s “weight problem”

Here I’ve listed a mere ten advantages of the Xdesk adjustable height desk, but know that the benefits really are endless. Check back next time when we go over why the Xdesk truly is the ultimate ergonomic desk setup.

Photo courtesy of Tobyotter – Flickr.com

The post Top 10 Reasons to Get a Xdesk Now appeared first on Xdesk Blog.