I started using a standing computer desk in 2012. Working in a sitting posture for long periods of time had left my body broken from poor posture. I had to figure out a way to work in a different position. So naturally, I decided to try a standing desk. But I had no idea what a proper standing posture was. And I made plenty of standing posture mistakes in the beginning.
Today, I’ve finally got my ergonomic standing position figured out. And I want to help you save time and energy, by sharing my standing desk posture tips to help you reduce computer-related injuries.
A lot of ergonomics experts will create a standing desk height calculator. It’s a chart that decides the desk height and monitor height according to how tall the user is. Personally, I don’t think a standing desk height calculator is necessary. I like to take a more organic approach to figuring out standing desk ergonomics.
This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. Years of poor computer posture used to cause muscle tension and chronic pain for me. All the ergonomic tips I write about are directly related to improving your posture at a computer. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
Standing Desk Posture Tips
I’ve gotten numerous standing desk benefits since 2012. If you’d like to know what they are, click here to read my article, Health Benefits of Standing Workstations. But to learn how to set up a standing workstation, continue reading below.
Sit-stand desk transition
When first making a sit-stand desk transition, here’s an important factor to consider. Don’t go from sitting posture all day, directly to standing posture all day. This is just going to cause new posture problems, but in different muscles.
Sitting posture isn’t the enemy here. Working in the same position for long periods of time is the enemy. That’s when repetitive strain and overuse injuries occur.
To avoid these injuries, keep alternating sitting and standing multiple times throughout the day. This is why it’s convenient to have a height-adjustable desk.
Standing desk setup
Earlier in this article, I mentioned using an organic approach to standing desk ergonomics, compared to using a standing desk height calculator. Here are the variables I use to determine standing desk ergonomics, including correct monitor height and desk level height.
correct Monitor position for a standing desk
I do all my computer work on a laptop. But laptop screens can cause eye strain because they are too small. They can also cause neck pain because they are too low. A good tactic for neck strain prevention is to use an external monitor. This way, we can keep our eye level at the top of the monitor screen. This will keep our necks in a neutral position that will minimize neck muscle tension and neck pain. Take a look at the photo below as an example.
correct Keyboard and mouse placement for a standing desk
As far as desk level height goes, keyboard and mouse placement should be slightly lower than your elbows. I never work with my elbows below my keyboard and mouse (anymore). When I used to make this posture mistake, I had to activate my biceps in order to lift my hands up onto the desk. This repetitive strain on my biceps cause muscle tension, as well as tendonitis in both my elbows and shoulders.
I also make it a point to keep my keyboard and mouse placement within a comfortable arm’s reach in front of me. I don’t want have to extend my arms far ahead and hold that position for long periods of time. This poor posture position used to cause a lot of overextension and pain in my upper back muscles.
Use an Anti-fatigue mat when standing on a hard surface for long periods of time
I’ve had 3 ankle surgeries. A lot of my issues were caused by not keeping my feet flat on the floor while in sitting posture at a computer. Yes, foot position at a computer, even when sitting, is an important variable of office ergonomics. Click here to read my article titled, How to Position Feet When Sitting at a Computer if you’d like to learn more.
Anyway, back to standing desk ergonomics. When I first started using a standing desk, I stood on a hard tile floor. I work from home, so I was often barefoot. Walking and standing barefoot can be a good thing for your feet, sometimes. Others, the surface can be too hard. And the repetitive strain on your foot can be too much. Our feet were made to be incredibly tough and durable. But, they have their limits just like any other body part. After using a standing desk for a while, the overuse of my feet transferred up to knee pain and dysfunction.
That’s why I started using an anti fatigue mat at my standing desk. It’s made a big difference in reducing my foot pain. I also make sure to wear comfortable shoes. Or, I might still work barefoot, but while placing my feet directly on the anti fatigue mat. For the ladies, I’d definitely avoid standing in high heels for long periods of time. They’ll constantly engage your calf muscles, while keeping your ankles in a very vulnerable position that causes repetitive strain injuries and ankle dysfunction.
Using an anti-fatigue mat is a huge benefit to my standing desk posture. They’re also very inexpensive. I got mine for about $14 on Amazon (not paid promotion). Next to a height-adjustable desk and an external monitor, an anti-fatigue mat is probably the next most important item on my list of standing desk accessories.
Standing desk posture mistakes and fixes
Let’s take a look at the featured photo for this article.
The first poor posture mistake in the above photo, she’s working from a laptop screen. This means she’s constantly looking down at an excessive angle. Her neck muscles are going through a lot of repetitive strain. In order to tilt her head downward like this, the muscles on the front of her neck will compress and shorten. The muscles on the back of her neck will overextend and lengthen. Working in this poor posture position for long periods of time can lead to neck muscle tension, neck pain, and spinal disc degeneration. I would often suffer from bad headaches when I would work in this bad posture position.
To fix this eye level mistake, I would use an external monitor with my laptop. This would make a huge difference in neck strain prevention for the user. Laptop screens are small and too low. An extended monitor will be larger, so it will reduce eye strain. It will also be easier to keep her eye level at the top of her monitor screen, which is good office ergonomics to work in when on a computer for hours a day.
The only other mistake I see in the photo is her elbow level. Her shoulders look a little bit higher than normal. This is probably because her standing desk is slightly too high. In order to lift her elbows onto a desk that is too high, she has to activate her trapezius muscles. Keeping these activated for long periods of time will lead to repetitive strain and overuse injuries.
I’d correct the elbow level mistake by lowering the desk slightly. Then, I’d let my shoulders relax a little bit lower in a more natural posture.
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 standing desk posture tips, 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