(Amy’s standing desk @ Q Web Cave)

Recently, Q acquired standing desks for our web developers. Becoming more aware of the cultural shift to standing desks taking place in our industries, and also the potential health risks of sitting all day, we advocated for adjustable standing desks.

Standing all day was difficult at first … more difficult than I expected. During the first week I was (and still am) committed to standing for most of my day, and I could feel the discomfort as my legs adapted. The second week was a lot easier, and by the third week, standing all day felt natural.

We chose the Geek Desk and I’ve been really impressed with the quality. The motorized lift has a quiet hum and operates smoothly. The large desktop surface is smooth and sturdy, and wide enough to hold my laptop, a second monitor, and still provide work space for sketching and writing.

I’ve found that an anti-fatigue mat helps protect my feet and joints. The Imprint CumulusPro is very comfortable, especially in socks or bare feet. I’m also using the WorkEZ Executive to raise my laptop (my main monitor) to eye level.

I sit to eat my lunch and take the occasional 30-60 minute break from standing in the afternoon. When I do sit, I use a stool because it’s easy to maintain good posture – and my wooden stool isn’t comfortable enough to sit for long periods.

The bennies IMHO:

• I’m more aware of my posture while standing. And with my monitor at eye level, standing up straight is comfortable.

• It’s easier to lean in when I need to inspect the detail of a design I’m building or code I’m writing. No more crouching over my laptop helps prevent a sore neck.

• It’s easy to move around, pace my office, or simply step away from the computer for a moment to look out my window.

• I’m burning calories as I work.

• I feel more active throughout the day, which also inspires my work and productivity.

Although it did take some time to transition, I’m very happy with the new set-up. Now, I prefer standing to sitting at work.