How to Use a Standing Desk Correctly - Full Tutorial

In order to fully take advantage of the health benefits from your new standing desk, it's important to customize your workspace to suit your body's needs. Using standing desks correctly may seem like a no-brainer from an outsider's perspective: You stand. You work. You repeat. However, ergonomics is not an exact science because every human body is different. The optimal height for your desk will be different for you than for someone else, and that's a good thing! Let's review how to use a standing desk setup!

Here are some instructions on how to use your own body's proportions and natural posture to create the ideal active workstation. Once you're all set up, make sure to read further for additional tips on how to use a sit-stand desk the proper way and reap the most rewards from everything it has to offer.

How to use a standing desk

While standing

1. Always adjust your standing desk to your elbows' height

How

Bend your elbows at a 90 degrees angle, keeping your neck neutral and your wrists straight in front of you. Lift or lower the standing desk to align your forearms parallel with the desk surface. Your hands should float over the keyboard with straight, relaxed wrists. Your fingers can hang down to meet your keyboard, but your wrist position should never be inclined up or down.

Why

These recommendations aim to prevent injuries and health issues to your arms and hands from working long hours in poor posture.

2. Watch your posture

How

Keep your neck tall, and your shoulders relaxed. Make sure to keep your knees slightly bent while standing, so they're not hyperextended or have their joints locked.

Why

“Good posture is also known as a neutral spine. When we have good posture, the muscles surrounding the spine are balanced and supporting the body equally,” says Nina Strang, a physical therapist, and strengthening and conditioning specialist at the University of Michigan. Most back pains are attributed to sedentary habits and bad posture. Applying these recommendations will limit harm to your body.

3. Keep your wrists straight and parallel to the desk surface

How

The final adjustments are to ensure your wrists remain neutral: Your fingers can hang down to meet your keyboard but your wrist should never be tilted upwards or downwards.

Why

Repeated extension and flexion of the wrists (up and down) can compress the internal structure of the wrists and increase the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

*With the simple push of a button, you have the flexibility to sit or stand and adjust effortlessly from one position to another at 38mm/s (1.5 inches per second), while the programmable keyboard of the Weworth Dual Motor Standing Desk remembers your preferred position. Save your custom height setting so you can easily transition between sitting and standing without interrupting your workflow.

While sitting

1. Adjust the height of your ergonomic chair

How

Adjust the height of your chair so that the top of the seat cushion is parallel to the base of your knees. Keep your feet flat on the floor and leave a fist-sized gap of space between the back of your knees and the seat's front edge. Your feet should be parallel to the floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.

Why

A proper adjustment of your chair will allow you to maintain good posture while avoiding back pain at your desk job.

2. Lift or lower the standing desk to meet your elbow's height

How

Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and allow your arms to hang loosely near your torso, with armrests barely touching your elbows. Raise or lower your adjustable desk until its surface reaches the bottom of your forearms. Your hands should float over the keyboard with straight, relaxed wrists.

Why

The purpose of these guidelines is to protect your arms and hands from injury and common mistakes when working standing up in a bad posture.

3. Watch your posture while sitting

How

Your upright posture while sitting should be supported by the chair's backrest, which must be curved or padded to meet the hollow of your back. Sitting in an awkward position increases pressure on the discs and vertebrae of your spine and, consequently, can engender back pain. Lumbar support is essential to prevent pressure on the discs and vertebrae of the spine.

Why

As most back pains are attributed to sedentary habits and bad posture, applying these recommendations will help limit the chances of harming your body.

*It's better to remove your chair's armrests if they cannot be adjusted low enough to stop your elbows from elevating - otherwise your neck and shoulders will be tense all day! Your chair should fit under your desk with its armrests attached. If the armrests don't fit, remove them.

An ergonomic chair supports your lumbar spine's inward curve which keeps it healthy. Sitting for extended periods of time without it can lead to slouching and, by extension, lower back pain. An ergonomic chair will help you make your time spent sitting way more enjoyable than a regular chair with its customizable settings.

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