So I’ve got this standing desk, and I’m trying to find good information on the proper way to adjust it ergonomically.
I have a floor mat that is supposed to reduce foot strain. Someone suggested I also get a footrest, but I’m not sure why.
The footrest is to help prevent fatigue by relieving the weight on your feet intermittently. Standing on your toes and flexing your calves periodically will help with venous return so the blood doesn’t pool in your lower legs and feet, causing swelling and pain.
How high should the monitor be? Should I be looking straight ahead/a little up/a little down? (if “straight ahead” is that to the top/middle/bottom of the monitor).
What about the keyboard? What’s the right height for that? I’ve adjusted it so that my forearms are basically parallel to the floor but the monitor seems a little high. Then again, the whole thing is different, so anything would feel a little weird.
If you look at the diagrams at the top of this post, they explain how high everything should be. I thought these were some pretty great diagrams. I took them from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety site.
Going by their information, it sounds like your keyboard is a little high. For those of you who don’t want to search for it, a centimeter is equal to approximately 0.39 inches.
They go on to give a few more tips on the site:
“What can workers do to reduce the discomfort of working in a standing position?
Adjust the height of the work according to body dimensions, using elbow height as a guide.
What should workers avoid while working in a standing position?
Avoid reaching behind the shoulder line. Shifting feet to face the object is the recommended way.
Avoid overreaching beyond the point of comfort.
Avoid reaching above shoulder line.”
It’s been my own experience as a sometimes spastic, twitchy person who probably would have been diagnosed with ADHD as a child if they had done it back then, standing or walking (on a treadmill) while working or studying really does help me concentrate as long as I can do it without falling down or running into anything. It was pretty surprising to me when I first figured it out, and I ended up doing a lot of studying on the treadmill.
Thanks for the question!
