The stand-up desk craze: what is it, and how can you try it out?

Why are stand up desks taking the professional world by storm?

Sitting at your desk for eight hours a day can become tedious very quickly, and we’ve all heard how gaining weight is a natural side effect or result of this type of sedentary behavior. Unfortunately, many of us don’t have much of a choice, as our jobs require us to sit at a computer or at a desk all day.

But the truth is that you do have an interesting option—the stand up desk. The stand up desk is exactly what you think: a desk that allows you to work while standing up.

Advantages of standing desks

There are several advantages to making the switch to a stand up desk. The first is obvious. You’ll burn more calories standing up than sitting down. This will help you be more active throughout the day so that dreaded weight gain won’t find you.

The second advantage is that it can help you become more productive. Sitting down can cause you to be more recessive in nature. But if you stand, you will feel more energized and your mind and body will know it’s time to get things accomplished.

A third advantage is that it can help alleviate back pain from being seated for long periods of time. It can build your back and torso muscles so that you can not only alleviate that pain, but get rid of it altogether, and fans of standing desks say it also helps with your posture.

Disadvantages of standing desks

One major disadvantage to using a stand up desk is that it can be hard on your body if you’re not wearing the right shoes or even standing with the right posture. Doing anything for eight hours straight – and many times even longer – is hard on your body, no matter if it’s sitting or standing.

The second disadvantage is having lunch at your desk. In your job or industry, eating your lunch at your desk while you continue to work on tasks can be cumbersome. If so, you’ll have to find some place to sit down so you can eat your lunch, and then get right back to work after.

The final disadvantage to a stand up desk is potentially a lack of privacy. If you work in a space with many other coworkers, standing up while working could mean that you’re the center of attention and everything you do within your work station is visible to everyone around you. If you need to make a phone call at your desk, some people may watch you absentmindedly. If you need to reapply some makeup or zip up a forgotten zipper, guess what? You’re basically on a stage.

The takeaway

Stand up desks have taken the professional world by storm because they promote a healthier lifestyle than the alternative. However, making the switch will take some getting used to. In fact, you may feel wiped out during the first few days or weeks as you adjust. And if you want to take it one step further, there are even stand up desks with treadmills.

Or, if you don’t want to commit to one type of desk, you do have the option to purchase a desk that converts to a standing or sitting desk. The important thing is that you’re aware and you take control of your health and your professional life. Ultimately, you’ll need to decide and act upon which method works best for you.

Bonus: try out a stand up desk right now

Before investing in a new desk, or creating your own, Lifehacker style, there are some ways you can try out a stand up desk to see if it is something you even like, as visually outlined below:

Remember, ergonomics are important, and there is such a thing as a standing desk that is too high or too low, so study the visual below, and go to the Ergotron calculator and enter your height to see where your personal standing desk needs to be.

For more inspiration, visit Flickr.com and do a search for “standing desk” and “stand up desk” to see what is already being used in the workplace.