We've all been there.
Every now and then, you feel burnt out or tired of your job. It's repetitive. You spend 8, 10, 12 hours a day staring at the same screen.
Your back hurts a lot. And you don't look good physically because you lead a rather sedentary life, exercising less than you'd like.
We're not saying we think this every day, or all the time, but we all have these kinds of workdays from time to time. It's normal.
Nowadays, there are endless options to improve your workspace, where you spend a good part of your day.
One of these options is height-adjustable desks or Standing Desks: desks that allow you to alternate between working seated and standing.
Why would you want to alternate between working seated and standing? The answer is simple: these changes in posture will help you in two ways: on the one hand, it will help you improve your health. And on the other, it will help you improve your productivity.
Improve your health with a standing desk
We could start listing countless academic studies that support this idea, but we'll try to explain it in a simpler way.
Many of today's office jobs cause people to spend too much time sitting in front of their computers, which has negative consequences for their health.
On the one hand, this pushes you towards a sedentary lifestyle, where your body is seated for a good part of the day, with little movement and little exercise, which is usually a vicious circle (since the less you move and exercise, the more effort it takes to move).
On the other hand, by being in the same posture for a long time, you tend to "load" certain areas of your body, such as your back (especially the lumbar region, or the upper trapezius area) and other joints such as your knees, hips, or wrists.
A Tablakala height-adjustable desk won't completely change your health, but it can easily allow you to make posture changes (alternating between working seated for a while and standing for a while). This will help you be a little less sedentary in your daily life, unconsciously exercise your muscles, and make frequent posture changes to improve circulation and reduce back and joint pain.
Smart desk to improve your productivity
On the other hand, it has also been scientifically proven that frequent posture changes during work (for example, alternating between working seated and standing) increase mental focus and productivity.
If you think about it, it's normal.
Sometimes you realize that you are physically or mentally tired of the work you are doing at that moment. Little by little and without being aware, you start to "slump" in your chair and your mind begins to block and flow less.
In these cases, a change of posture can help you. If you feel blocked or tired at a given moment, try to move around, take a few minutes walk around your office, or if you have an adjustable frame with a motor for your desk, change your posture to work standing.
That change of dynamic can help you unblock the situation and start with renewed ideas.
Likewise: this is not a magic formula, nor will it make you a very productive person overnight, but if you incorporate posture changes (alternating between working seated and standing) into your work habit, it is very likely that you will be more productive in your day-to-day life.
In summary, using a height-adjustable desk can help you:
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Increase your energy level: working at a height-adjustable desk promotes the necessary mobility to improve circulation and oxygenate the brain. This increases energy levels and concentration.
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Improve your mood: those who spend more than 6 hours a day seated show greater signs of stress than those who don't. Alternating between working standing and seated improves mood and reduces fatigue and tension.
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Improve joint and muscle movement: muscle and joint movement to go from a seated to a standing position helps your health, to counteract a sedentary work routine.
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Boost your productivity: working at a height-adjustable desk has shown increases in work productivity.
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Helps you burn calories: working standing burns 12% more calories than sitting, which helps you burn more daily calories and therefore improve your physical condition.
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Develop greater mental focus: movement while working promotes concentration and creativity, improving critical reasoning and attention.
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Reduce the risk of illness: a sedentary lifestyle carries health risks. Alternating between working standing and seated is linked to lower rates of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. In addition, it is highly recommended to improve back pain and discomfort.
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Decrease caffeine consumption: standing regularly is a more natural measure than coffee and energy drinks to stay alert at work.
And finally:
3 Tips if it's your first experience with a Standing Desk
1. Start slowly
If you work seated, your body is not used to working standing.
To avoid it being too hard at first and demotivating you, start with short standing periods of 10-15 minutes (set an alarm!) and about 2-3 times a day standing.
With practice, little by little you can increase to standing sessions of 30-45 minutes without a problem, and several times a day.
2. Find your ergonomic posture and memorize your heights
Once your desk is installed, find your ergonomic working posture, where you don't strain any part of your body.
A good starting point is usually a posture with your elbows at 90º and naturally resting on the desk, without straining your back or arms, but everyone should find their ideal posture.
Once you have it, memorize your seated and standing heights at your desk. This way you can change the position with just one click.
3. Start your work sessions standing
For example, we recommend leaving the desk in the elevated position the night before, and starting the workday with a standing session.
You can also leave it standing when you go for a lunch break (or to the bathroom), so that when you return you start with a standing session and change the dynamic.
Final Tip: try combining the Standing Desk with the Pomodoro technique: 25-minute concentrated work sessions, separated by 5-minute breaks.
