STANDING DESK – HOW TO CREATE ONE AT HOME

Have you thought about how you could create a standing desk at home? Creating a suitable home office can be challenging. In the current circumstances, many of us are working from home full-time due to the COVID-19 outbreak. While some people are accustomed to this, for others it is entirely new territory. Given the uncertainty of the current situation, it is worth exploring options that allow for alternate working positions. Sometimes we need to be creative with the household equipment we have in order to create a work set up which is ergonomically correct.

WHY CREATE A STANDING DESK

Standing desks have become popular in recent times. The reason for this is due to a heightened awareness of improving general health. Maybe you are used to using a standing desk for periods throughout the day at work? It is important to understand that any posture for a prolonged period is not good for your body. Regular movement is encouraged. Using a standing desk does not automatically mean you will have good posture, however, if it encourages you to move more, it’s a positive. Follow the tips below to ensure you are standing correctly.

STANDING CORRECTLY AND CORRECT STANDING DESK HEIGHT

Stand Tall
Ensure your feet are approximately hip-width apart, with your weight evenly distributed
Keep your shoulders back, down and relaxed
Look straight ahead – position your screen so that you are looking at the top one third of the screen when looking straight ahead.
Keep your elbows close to your body and at a 90-degree angle when using a keyboard and mouse
Keep your wrists neutral, not bending inwards or outwards. In this position, your hands should be just over the keyboard as you type.

If your hands are much lower than the keyboard, your need to lower the height of the desk.

If your hands are higher than the keyboard, you need to increase the height of the desk. Check that you do not need to drop your wrists, or elbows to reach the keyboard.

The correct height is where your hands land onto the keyboard when your elbows are at 90-degrees.

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

Use whatever household equipment you have available to create a home-standing desk. This may be an ironing board, boxes, or a stack of books.

Use an ironing board as a standing desk. Use books to adjust the height as required

Use a high set of drawers. Use books to adjust the height as required

Use a high counter top and boxes

**Never type on a raised keyboard – when using a laptop prioritise the height of the keyboard and push the screen away from you. Use of an external keyboard and mouse is recommended.

DON’T FORGET TO MOVE

This really is the key! Ensure you change posture frequently. Remember that when you start to lean to one side or feel the need to re-position, your body is fatigued. Your next posture is the best posture!

ERGONOMICS SUPPORT FOR YOUR COMPANY

To learn more about office setup and good ergonomics principles, you can reach out to Fit for Work to talk about how an ergonomic programme within your office can increase productivity, increase staff satisfaction, improve staff retention and reduce sick leave.

Georgina Hannigan