How Do Electric Standing Desks Work and Are They Worth It?
You’ve probably seen standing desks, sometimes with a treadmill underneath, but how do they really change your working day? How do electric standing desks work and what are the benefits of using a standing desk instead of sitting? We went on the hunt for the best standing desk to find out whether they really are worth the hype.
We all know that sitting for too long is not good for our health. The problem is that now more than ever, the majority of most jobs involve sitting for long periods of time. Is a standing desk good for you and is standing better for your health? Now, it’s worth noting that standing in one spot for too long isn’t great either but it is significantly better than sitting down all day and there are numerous health benefits to standing versus sitting. That said, there’s a reason that we should be aiming to walk 10, 000 steps a day besides from doing any other high intensity or strength workout. We were made to move and to keep active but that can be difficult when you work full-time and are restricted to spending hours a day at a desk. So what can we do about it and how can a standing desk help? I’ve been testing out the Flexispot essential electric standing desk to see how it changed the way I work and the results have been surprising. It’s completely changed my work from home life. Today I’m sharing how I used a standing desk to change my working routine and my top tips for getting the most out of a standing desk, as well as why it may or may not be a sensible option for you.
Is a Standing Desk Good for You and Is a Standing Desk Better for your Back?
Before we delve into reviewing the desk and looking at how I got on with it, here are a few of the benefits for standing versus sitting at your desk.
- Boosts Metabolism: Standing at your desk keeps your body active and your metabolism firing, helping you burn more calories throughout the day compared to sitting.
- Supports Weight Management: Standing burns more calories than sitting, which can contribute to weight loss or weight management goals over time.
- Reduces Risk of Obesity: Incorporating standing into your work routine can help lower the risk of obesity by encouraging movement and calorie expenditure.
- Improves Posture: Standing naturally promotes better posture as it engages your core muscles and helps align your spine, reducing the strain on your neck and back that often comes with prolonged sitting.
- Enhances Circulation: Standing encourages better blood flow throughout your body, reducing the risk of developing circulation-related issues like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and varicose veins.
- Reduces Risk of Chronic Diseases: Research suggests that prolonged sitting is linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Standing can help mitigate these risks by keeping your body active and in motion.
- Increases Energy and Focus: Standing promotes better blood flow to the brain, which can enhance cognitive function, increase alertness, and improve overall productivity.
- Alleviates Back Pain: Standing desks have been shown to reduce lower back pain and discomfort associated with prolonged sitting. By alternating between sitting and standing throughout the day, you can give your back a much-needed break and prevent stiffness and soreness.
- Improves Mood and Well-being: Standing encourages the release of endorphins, neurotransmitters that promote feelings of happiness and well-being. By standing more during your workday, you may experience improved mood and reduced stress levels.
- Promotes Longevity: Research indicates that excessive sitting is associated with a higher risk of premature death. Incorporating standing into your daily routine can help prolong your lifespan and improve overall health and longevity.
How Easy it it to Assemble the Flexispot Electric Standing Desk?
My new standing desk arrived and I couldn’t wait to assemble it so that I could try it out. After reading other reviews and insights online, I was expecting to spend about 40 minutes assembling the desk. The instructions were very clear and it actually only took about 20-30 minutes to assemble. The desk is very heavy and well made, so if you are assembling the desk alone, do bear that in mind – it might be a good idea to ask for help with lifting it! For reference, the Flexispot essential standing desk weighs about 30kg with a single, solid desktop. One of the unique selling points that makes standing desks from FlexiSpot different from others is that the desktop itself is one single piece, not multiple pieces that need to be paired together and that therefore leave gaps and provide a less sturdy and uneven working space. This not only makes the desk more sturdy but also looks better and more expensive too. Not to mention that it’s much more convenient for those who want to use their desk for photography and flatlays, as there are no unsightly gaps that you might want to avoid in your photos.
My First Day with My Flexispot Essential Standing Desk
Now for the exciting part – the first working day at my new standing desk. Like with all new things that you introduce into your working or personal life, there can be an adjustment period where you might need some time to get used to it. The standing desk is really easy to use and you can really tailor it to meet your needs. Remember that this is an adjustable desk that allows you to easily switch between sitting and standing whenever you choose with a simple push of a button. What’s more is that you can alter the height to be as high or as low as you choose, which makes the desk more comfortable as a sitting desk too.
I set up the desk to my ideal height for standing, wrote my to-do list for the day and started off my day with admin work. I powered on with checking emails and ticking off those little tasks that were cluttering my to-do list, which I’d usually procrastinate over but with the standing desk I felt more energised to get them done. Interestingly, I checked them off my list in record time, whereas it would usually take me far longer if I was sitting down. I will get on to why that is in a moment. Next, I tackled a block of writing work. Seeing as I am getting back into the swing of setting myself blocks of time to get things done by timing myself, my aim was to pretty much finish writing and drafting a full blog post within this time. By the end of the hour, I had finished most of the blog post, edited the photos and added them to the article. All was left was to quickly check over my work and press publish. Later than afternoon, I switched the desk to a sitting position that was just the right height for me to work comfortably and my daughter joined me to watch a film on her Tablet. This leads me on to another advantage of the standing desk…
Why Standing Desks are Great if You Have Kids
Ideally, I prefer to balance my time so that work and parenting don’t collide. However, there are times, I’m sure any working parent will know, when you’re so close to finishing a project or reaching a deadline and need to keep the kids entertained for half an hour. My FlexiSpot Essential standing desk is 120cm wide, which means that there is enough room to comfortably seat both me and my daughter. There are different sizes and colours available too. I opted for the white frame with white legs because I love white interiors but there are lots of finishes to choose from. Depending on the age of your kids, they’ll probably find it fun to be able to sit at your desk with you for short periods of time if you give them their own little task or something to entertain them. My daughter loves sitting with her toys or watching something at my desk. Also, as previously mentioned, because the height is fully adjustable, I can easily lower the desk to a suitable height that is comfortable for both of us, especially when seated. So overall this is a really versatile and convenient tool to have for any parent or working individual, and even more so as a working parent.
Plus adjustable standing desks are the ideal desks for short people too because you can alter the height to whatever is most comfortable. I feel that in itself is a major plus for the desk, even if you were just using it for sitting. It means that the whole family or a group of employees can take it in turns to enjoy the same desk at their perfect height. If you’ve ever bought a standard desk only to then struggle to find a suitable chair to fit then then you will understand the frustration. Not all desks and working areas suit all people but I feel that the standing desk is the best way to create a tailor made desk in seconds.
Should You Stand All Day at a Working Desk? How I Work at My Standing Desk
Although standing is better than sitting, it is recommended that you switch positions regularly between sitting and standing and ensure that you still make time to actually move around as well. The way that I get the most from my standing desk both in terms of helping physically and with productivity, is by assigning certain tasks to a standing position and others to sitting. So for the short but numerous housekeeping tasks, like checking emails, stats, accounts, I stand at my desk. When you have more than one thing to do, it’s easy to procrastinate or get distracted and when I’m sitting for these activities I tend to wander off and check social media or get lost reading blog posts when I should be working.
If I have a lot of writing or repetitive tasks to do, such as a day of writing, research or photo editing then I alternate between sitting and standing for an hour at a time. I’ve found that it’s better to stay standing to get the bulk of the work done, whereas sitting is better for checking over work, finishing off tasks and any tidying up that I need to do that involves a calmer, more relaxed state of mind.
Is a Standing Desk Really Worth It?
For me, the FlexiSpot standing desk has been a real gamechanger and I will definitely continue to use the desk, switching between standing and sitting throughout the day. A few months ago I realised that I was highly productive and disciplined until I sat down. When I realised this, I tried to avoid sitting down unnecessarily during my working day unless I had to. I found that every time I sat down, even for a moment, I would lose heaps of time and get lost in scrolling through social media or Googling new ideas or falling victim to Shiny Object Syndrome. It was a major drain on my time. I feel so much more energised when standing, whereas as soon as I sit, I don’t feel so motivated. If you’re the kind of person who gets most of their best ideas or inspiration while moving or being outdoors then I would say that the standing desk is the next best thing for you. It helps to keep you feeling awake and with that same level of energy, enabling you to actually implement your great ideas too! For me, it also helps to recognise boundaries by differentiating between work and off mode.
How a Standing Desk Has Helped Me to Be More Productive
By getting into the routine of checking and replying to emails while standing, I’ve gotten out of the habit of letting these tasks creep into my non-working hours, like when sat relaxing in the evening because I recognise “emails” as a “standing” task. Additionally, by exploring new ways in which I can work more effectively without it requiring additional effort or time, I’ve also found that for writing work, I work much better on my tablet with an external keyboard than I do on my laptop. The reason for this is that I have disabled internet on my tablet and therefore I have to consciously login to WiFi on my tablet, unlike on my laptop. By not having an automatic internet connection on my tablet, I can be more focused to just write without the constant temptation of going online or getting sidetracked. Whenever I set my timer to sit or stand to write at my tablet, I can pretty much get a full article written in one go. Whereas I can easily get distracted and lose focus when I write on my laptop and it can take days to write the same article.
Who is a Standing Desk For?
A standing desk works well for anyone who prefers to stand to work or to reverse engineer that – doesn’t like to sit. It’s also not industry-specific either, so you can use a standing desk for any job that involves being in front of a computer, writing, conducting trainings or presentations, answering calls or any type of creative work such as illustration or sewing.
Who is a Standing Desk NOT For?
It’s important to mention that simply getting a standing desk is not going to make a massive difference if you hate standing or cannot practice a little self-discipline to make it work for you. If you are desperate to switch to a standing desk that will force you to work standing up then I’d recommend investing in a standing desk that doesn’t have the option to lower it to a seated position. This way, you will have no other choice but to stand. On the other hand, whether you enjoy standing or not, if you would find it very uncomfortable or counterproductive to stand while working then a standing desk probably isn’t the best option for you and I’d instead advise you to just take regular breaks away from your desk to move around or go for a walk. Finally, if you work best while sat on a sofa or in a non-traditional office environment then a standing desk is probably also not a wise investment for you.
Standing Desks with Treadmills: Are They Productive?
I am currently using a stand alone standing desk without a treadmill or stepper underneath. I don’t plan to add a treadmill to my desk so I cannot really comment on how well they work together or whether the desk feels comfortable with a treadmill underneath. However, up until recently I did have a separate treadmill and have occasionally used the treadmill’s own tray as a small desk to work. The only thing I found it useful for was reading. And I don’t mean reading for relaxation but rather reading for a purpose, such as business advice, educational materials or proofreading work I’d previously written. I didn’t get on very well with walking on a treadmill while trying to type or do any other work-related activity. The only thing I found it somewhat manageable for was proofreading work prior to publication. Not because it was more convenient but because it was just about the only thing I managed to do while concentrating on walking on an electric treadmill. I’d personally find it difficult to exercise while sitting at a desk or when standing. Although this is just my personal experience and what does or doesn’t work for me might be the opposite for you.
Overall I love the Flexispot essential electric standing desk and would highly recommend it to others! It’s the best Flexispot standing desk in terms of functions, appearance, quality and price. Electric standing desks range from less than £100 to £500+ and although the more expensive options offer their own additional features, I don’t think that you can beat the Flexispot essential desk. It makes an all round excellent table that can be adjusted to suit the perfect, most comfortable height for you. If you’ve been tempted to try out a standing desk for yourself then my recommendation would be to do it! You won’t regret it! Check out the Flexispot essential electric standing desk here.
