This standing desk has eased my back pain and boosted my energy and motivation
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I've been working from home now for 561 days now, and it only took me 530 days to work out the perfect WFH office set-up - and sadly, it isn't slumped on the sofa under a blanket (sorry!).
I've made plenty of home office purchases over the past few years. From a chair that has a built-in massager (I used it once) to a big monitor so that I'm not bent over a laptop all day. And while some buys were more successful than others, none of them really revolutionised the way I felt at work each day.
It was actually one single tweak that made the difference: a standing desk.
The FLEXISPOT Electric Standing Desk looks much like a normal desk, except at the push of a button you can adjust the height, meaning you can go from sitting to standing in just a few seconds.
Buy it: FLEXISPOT Electric Standing Desk | £199.99 from Amazon
It's no secret that people who sit a lot every day have an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. Additionally, sitting all the time burns very few calories, and many studies have linked it to weight gain and obesity.
Although research is still in its early stages, it does appear that using a standing desk can have impressive benefits for health - even by just encouraging you to stand for a few extra minutes a day - and it's something I've experienced first-hand since using mine.
The immediate benefit was that it stopped my back pain and eased tightness around my shoulders almost immediately.
You've probably read about the 'work-from-home hump' that we're all developing from slouching over our laptops with our heads down and necks bent, but with a standing desk, you stand straight with your shoulders down, and even while seated can adjust the height so that the screen is directly in front of your eyeline.
I now notice that even while sitting, I am more aware of my posture and tend to sit up straighter.
Something I wasn't expecting to come out of using a standing desk though, was the boost in energy and motivation it gives me.
When I feel a slump coming on around 3pm, instead of zoning out and writing off the rest of the day, I simply adjust the desk so that I can stand up for around 30-minutes and notice that it raises my energy and refreshes my productivity.
In fact, I get more done since the introduction of my standing desk.
You know how they say that a 'change is as good as a holiday'? Well, standing up for ten minutes is as good as taking a prolonged break.
Seriously.
Plus, its helped me manage my weight in and amongst all those extra trips to the fridge. In fact, when compared to an afternoon of sedentary work, an equal amount of time spent standing has been shown to burn over 170 additional calories. That's the equivalent of an hour of yoga or a 30-minute jog.
In short, I think a standing ovation for the standing desk is well-deserved.
You can nab my exact desk below, which includes the addition of built-in drawers to help you keep your space tidier and more organised.
