Sitting at a computer for long periods of time caused me poor posture, decreased energy, decreased mental clarity, and low work productivity.
I still sit at a computer part-time. But I also turn my desk into a standing workstation for part of the day. After all the damage that sitting has done to my body, I wanted to learn how to stand at a computer with good posture.
This article will talk about the furniture and technology I use for my ergonomic standing desk setup. It’ll also talk about my computer ergonomic tips for correct posture at a standing desk.
This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the desk worker health tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
Correct Standing Position for Computer Work
Ergonomic standing desk setup
Here is a list of the main furniture and technology I use for my ergonomic standing desk setup.
Height-adjustable desk
I don’t work in the exact same position for long periods of time. Even with good computer posture, that could cause repetitive strain and overuse injuries. It doesn’t matter if we’re in sitting posture or at a standing workstation.
To prevent this, I switch back and forth from sit to stand positions multiple times throughout the day. A height-adjustable desk makes this quick and easy for me to do.
External monitor
An external monitor is the most valuable tool for reducing neck strain at a standing desk. I work on a laptop. But that screen is way too small and too low. An external monitor makes aligning the monitor for my standing workstation easy and ergonomic. I always keep the top of the monitor screen even with my eye level.
Ergonomic keyboard and mouse
I used to suffer from chronic wrist pain. It wasn’t from the act of typing. It was from lifting my hands to rest them on a tall, bulky keyboard and mouse. Holding this position for long periods of time is what caused my carpal tunnel syndrome.
When I switched to a flat, low-profile keyboard and mouse, it allowed me to keep my wrists straight (instead of extended). My wrist pain completely went away after just a few days.
To learn more, check out my article titled Best Ergonomic Devices for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Anti-fatigue mat
My desk is on a very hard floor. Even though I’m just standing there, it still puts a strain on my muscles. I picked up an anti-fatigue mat from Amazon for cheap (around $15, not paid promotion). It looks just like a doormat, but it’s cushioned.
As soon as I stepped on it for the first time, I could tell it was going to help decrease muscle tension and chronic pain throughout my legs, not just in my feet.
Correct posture for standing desk
The correct standing position for computer work has a lot of similarities to the correct sitting position. Here are the standing workstation posture tips I follow.
Elbow height slightly higher than desk level
I used to have my elbows too low when working at a computer. I had to constantly activate my biceps to lift my hands up on to my desk. This repetitive strain caused inflammation in my bicep tendons located near my shoulders.
To decrease this pain and prevent it in the future, I adjusted my elbow height until it was slightly higher than my desk, keyboard, and mouse. This allowed me to relax my biceps significantly, preventing shoulder pain from using a computer.
Having correct elbow height can also determine standing desk height recommendations. A lot of people think the correct height of a standing desk is determined by how tall a person is. I disagree with that protocol. I stand with good posture, then I adjust my desk until it is slightly below my elbow level (in the most comfortable position). This is how I determine how high a standing desk should be.
Spine in a neutral, balanced position with its natural curves intact
We don’t want to slouch forward. We also don’t want to stand up “too straight.” That would cause the natural curves in our spine to flatten out. Which would lead to increased risk of spinal disc degeneration.
Working with the spine in a neutral, balanced position is an important way to prevent back pain at a standing desk.
Top of the monitor screen should be eye level
This ergonomic tip is the same for standing desks as it is for sitting posture. I always want the top of my monitor screen to be even with eye level. This correct posture has reduced neck strain and headaches for me.
Feet flat on an anti-fatigue mat
As I described earlier, an anti-fatigue mat significantly decreases muscle tension and chronic pain throughout my entire legs, not just my feet.
Weight evenly distributed throughout my feet
Proper foot positioning at a standing desk is very important. Our feet are the only connection to the ground when standing.
If we’re standing mostly on our heels, that will lead to strain on the hamstrings and tissues around the shins. This caused painful shin splints for me back in the day. That stress didn’t stop there. It used to transfer up into my lower back and cause pain.
If we’re standing mostly on our toes, that will put repetitive strain and overuse on our calves and quads.
To avoid these computer-related injuries, I work at my standing desk with my weight evenly distributed throughout my grounded feet.
Knees in a balanced, neutral position
There is a fine line to getting this position correct. I might use a very slight bend, but my knees are never overly bent. They’re also not so straight that my knee is hyperextended.
Glutes lightly activated
I used to neglect my glute strength for many years. Since I’ve started building glute strength, it’s become a super power for my computer posture. Both when I’m in sitting and standing posture.
Glutes are necessary to walk up stairs and do squats. But most importantly for office workers, it’s our support system for our bodies when we’re sitting in an office chair. My hips got chronically tight from years of sitting at a computer.
When standing, glutes help balance out my hips. I try to keep an equal amount of activation between my hips and my glutes when I’m working at my standing desk.
Also, I don’t use my standing workstation 100% of the time. I switch from sit to stand positions multiple times a day. Because standing doesn’t solve all the problems that sitting causes. Working in the exact same position for long periods of time can cause repetitive strain and overuse injuries, regardless if it’s standing or sitting posture.
Now that you know how to stand correctly at a computer, check out my article titled Correct Sitting Position for Computer Work.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!
If you liked this article on the correct standing position for computer work, check out my free ebook titled 3 Ways to Improve Computer Posture Immediately!
>>> Click here to download your free copy
This ebook is a great supplement to the article you just read. In this ebook, you’ll learn 3 of the most painful, poor computer posture mistakes. Then, you’ll learn how to fix those mistakes immediately with 3 simple changes to your ergonomic computer desk setup.
Go to SittingPosture.com/ebook to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen
