The other day my sister said to me, “Sitting is the new smoking in the workplace.“

I had to think about that one for a minute. She went on to discuss how workplaces are encouraging their employees to work at standing desks and some even have treadmill desks for employees to use on and off throughout the day. I love that more office-based employers are “rising” to the occasion to promote a healthier work lifestyle. At WMT, we have no “offices” so a lot of us work while standing (or mix it up by standing or taking more breaks) already.

This new office movement to get more people off their bums goes hand-in-hand with the “Step It Up!” campaign recently launched by the US Surgeon General which encourages walking and walkable communities. Most of us are aware that a sedentary lifestyle can lead to chronic disease (such as heart disease), cancer or diabetes. Chronic disease aside, sitting all day long constricts circulation, turns muscles “off”, tightens connective tissue, and slows metabolism. By retirement, a sedentary person may be hunched, overweight, and limited in movement and mobility.

Standing desks and treadmill desks are a great perk of any company, but what if you work from home or at a company that cannot invest in standup desks or treadmill desks? I work from home and I do not have a standing desk but I can easily make my own. Here are ideas on how to make your own standing desk in the office or at home.

  • Turn Your Desk into a Standing Desk. This involves stacking something on your current desk to raise the level of your computer to standing. I have seen people use a small side table, a sturdy box such as a Xerox paper box, or an upside down plastic storage container (the last two items are available in most offices).
  • standing desk ideasTurn Your Kitchen Counter into a Standing Desk. For those of you who work from home and are on the short side (me!) – I only need a couple inches of rise for my laptop – so I use a computer lap tray that is 4 inches in height on my kitchen counter. I don’t mind standing and the view is an added bonus! (See image)
  • Use a Folding Chair for your Standing Desk. For those who are taller, a folding chair placed on a table works great for a standing desk.
  • Turn a Shelf into a Standing Desk. An inexpensive way to make a standing desk in your home is to use a shelf that is attached to the wall with brackets. This custom desk will be exactly the height you need. It works best for a laptop and when you’re not working, remove the laptop and line it with plants and pictures as part of your home decor.

Once you’ve got your standing desk situation sorted, how long should you stand for?
Research  recommends accumulating at least 2 hours per day of standing (you can do this in increments here and there, no pressure to stand still for 2 hours!) and progressing to 4 hours. Prolonged sitting, and prolonged standing, can both be hard on the body. Light physical activity should be thrown in to break up the static position. Walk to your lunch spot, do 5 jumping jacks, the latest dance move, a few squats, touch your toes or stretch your arms.

Is there a best time of day to stand?
Any time of day is great to stand and I find, for me, that after lunch is the best. This is the time when my food is digesting and I am ready to lay my head down on the desk and snooze. Standing keeps me awake and lets my stomach stretch which I think aids in digestion.

I hope these healthy tips motivate you to take a stand during your workday!

If you’ve set up your own standing desk at home or work, we’d love to hear about it. Comments welcome below.