Incorporating Standing Desks Into Your Small Office Space

An ergonomic desk is essential to making sure workers are comfortable during the business day. However, sitting all day, even if you have a perfectly designed desk, can also lead to health problems. Some workers may prefer using a standing desk to complete their daily tasks.

If you run a small business and have employees who could benefit from a standing desk, you have several options for providing an alternative to the traditional work station. The following primer on standing desks can help you get started on selecting the right setup for your office.

Benefits

While standing at your desk to work is not the norm in business environments, it does provide numerous health benefits.

Most Americans spend at least six hours a day sitting. The effects of this sedentary work day contributes to a host of medical problems, including obesity, slow metabolism and heart disease. Using a standing desk can help reduce your chances of suffering from these conditions as well as lowering your risk for certain types of cancers.

Experts recommend working half of the day at a standing desk plus incorporating regular exercise into your life to help decrease your chances of suffering from diseases associated with sitting at work all day.

Building Standing Desks

If you only have a few employees or work at home and want to make sure a standing desk fits seamlessly into your office setting, you can make the structures on your own using supplies from an office furniture retailer and a hardware store.

First choose a table top from an office furniture store. A well-stocked retailer should offer a selection of table tops made from wood, metal or composite materials. If you want a cafe style work area where several people can work at a time, purchase long table tops with enough space for several laptops or monitors.

You should also buy wall brackets, braces, keyboard trays and a stud finder. The keyboard trays can be mounted to the underside of the desk to conserve space on the table surface. Use the stud finder to determine the best place to drill holes. Mount the table tops using the brackets and braces.

Off-the-shelf Standing Desks

Many retailers also offer standing desks. If you have space constraints, look for desks that are the width of a compact computer workstation. You can also convert an existing desk with ample surface space to a standing desk. Purchase adjustable monitor mounts for the desk that you can raise or lower for the perfect height.

If you have the funds to splurge, you can purchase a full-size, adjustable height standing desk that has enough space for all of your computer equipment and other items.

Chairs and Accessories

When you need a break from standing but do not want to switch to a shorter desk, use a stool or high chair. Make sure to purchase ergonomically-designed office chairs that are bar stool height instead of generic stools from department stores. You need the same lumbar support that you would get from a traditional office chair.

If you built a custom standing desk, consider adding other components underneath the desk such as file cabinets, media racks and a stand for a printer.

Ergonomics

No matter what type of standing desk you choose, make sure that it provides a good working position for your body. When standing in front of the desk and using a keyboard, your hands, wrists and forearms should be parallel to the floor with your elbows at a 90-degree angle. Your shoulders and upper arms should be relaxed and never feel strained. If you have a foot rest, you can use it with one foot on the rest as you stand and work.

For more information, visits sites like Desks, Inc.


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