Standing desk posture tips

“The most common mistake people make when standing is to lock their knees. It is advised to have a little bend in the knees to take pressure off of your back and allow for better circulation to the legs”.

Dr. Rob DeStefano, Chiropractor

Eye Level

Your screen should be directly in front of you, not to the left or right. If slightly off-centre, you will definitely feel it after a spell of engaging work. The height of the monitor is important as well, it should be at eye level, a good guide is your chin; it should not be tilting up or down.

Your screen angle also plays a part. It is recommended to try and achieve a 20 degree tilt, and the monitor should be around 20-28 inches from your eyes.

Arms

This is a good guide for the height of your desk too. Your elbows should be at 90 degrees, ideally you don’t want to rest your forearms on the edge of the table, if you notice you’re doing that, the desk might be a bit high.

One of the main reasons you try to maintain your arms at 90 degrees is to avoid wrist strain, your hands should extend over the keyboard when your wrists are in a neutral position.

If you start to get strain in the shoulders or neck, check how your arms are resting, they could be the culprit.

Legs

Try and bend your knees a bit, and don’t stand in a way that grounds you ridged to the floor. You want to keep nimble when standing, shifting your weight around freely. If the desk is too high, you could end up locking your knees and feeling it an hour or so later!

Feet

Don’t wear heels whilst at the desk for a long time, it also won’t help with positioning the height of your desk. Ideally wear something thing with a firm sole, i.e. not slippers either! I prefer flip-flops or bear feet on an anti-fatigue mat.