WebMD recently revealed that a standing desk reduces your risk for back and neck pain, obesity, and heart disease. Plus, a study shows that workers who use standing desks daily are 45% more productive than those who sit.
While sitting at a desk all day, every day, the thought of a standing desk can be rather intriguing. But you may ask, “How tall should my standing desk be?”
Not to worry. We will answer everything you want to know about a standing desk in this article. We would say, “Sit tight,” except you may want to stand for this one!
Table of Contents
What Is a Standing Desk?
You may also hear the term “stand-up desk,” which is the same thing. It is a desk that individuals can work on with a computer, write, draw, or read, all while either standing on their feet or sitting on a high stool.
In short, it helps you to work comfortably when you stand up. While researching the best standing desk for you, we recommend you look at this electric standing desk.
How Tall Should My Standing Desk Be?
Typically, the recommendation is that a standing desk should be at the height of your elbow level. To measure this properly, you must measure from the floor up to the bottom part of your elbow. You should position your elbow at a 90-degree angle (90 degrees from the floor) when you measure.
The stand-up desk should be made at this level for your comfort. For a little more guidance, let’s take a person who is 5’11” (180 cm) tall. Their standing desk should be approximately 44 inches (111 cm) high.
Standing Desk Guide
To minimize the risk of injury and to bring you more comfort, you want the standing desk to be at that correct desk height, and you want the computer screen in the correct position, too.
People typically agree the position of the computer screen should be 20 to 28 inches (51 to 71 cm) away from your face. For an easier reference that could help you, it should be a distance not less than your elbow to your middle finger’s tip.
Your eye level should be located at the top of the screen. Also, you want a small tilt upwards, about 10 to 20 degrees. What you want to avoid must tilt your neck either up or down.
Standing Desk Tips
While sitting all day is not good for your health, standing up all day is not either. Occupations like production line workers and bank tellers who stand all day can suffer lower back pain.
It can negatively affect your tendons, leg muscles, and other connective tissue. Standing all day links to varicose veins, too.
This means that you need a healthy balance of sitting and standing. The research appears to suggest that a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of sitting versus standing is optimal and will not affect productivity.
The recommendation here is that you alternate between sitting and standing at intervals of 30 to 60 minutes.
Standing Desks Are Great
If you are not currently using a standing desk, we highly recommend that you get one. You will be more productive and healthier.
It will be much easier for your comfort now that you know the answer to “How tall should my standing desk be?” and how often you should stand with it.
For more great ideas about improving your career and your health, check out the many articles we have available. Come to our site and live your best life!