If you are a tall person, you might be one of the first to jump onto the adjustable desk hype. It seems like a match made in heaven, right? However, there are some things you need to watch out for when you’re a tall person buying an adjustable desk!
What are Adjustable Desks?
First of all, what are adjustable desks and why are they so beneficial?
An adjustable or standing desk is a piece of equipment which allows the user to work whilst standing up. The oldest forms of the classic office desk were rigid and didn’t allow for a transition between sitting and standing. You plunked yourself down onto your chair, sat there for 8 hours, and didn’t change position once. Adjustable desks (as the name implies) allow this transition to take place seamlessly.
You might have heard them described as sit-stand desks or height-adjustable desks. There are quite a few benefits to using these desks - and this article will cover a few of them before jumping into the big question about tall people.
Weight Gain
Clearly, working in an office isn’t the most beneficial when it comes to burning calories and losing weight. However, standing desks offer hidden weight loss benefits.
Compared to traditional sit-down desks, a standing desk can offer up to 170 additional calories burned each day if an equal amount of time is spent standing versus sitting.
This is yet to take into consideration the change in habits when using a standing desk too! When you’re sedentary you’re much more likely to stay that way, moving around on your seat and eating at your desk.
However, with a standing desk, you’re much more active and are more likely to engage in small walks, less likely to eat at your desk and therefore more likely to burn additional calories.
Improved Mood
Studies have shown that standing desks also improve people’s moods - a rather unexpected but huge benefit! Users of standing desks have reported to be less fatigued and less stressed in their work environments. Almost 90% of users also reported that they felt more energised throughout the day.
Posture
Office workers often complain of back pain and one of the largest causes for this are traditional sitting desks. Studies have demonstrated that there was a 32% improvement in back pain for those using standing desks.
Sitting at a desk naturally hunches our bodies over, tightening them and squeezing our muscles together. This can cause your back muscles to spasm and grow painful over time. The same is also applicable to muscles in your neck and lower legs.
This point is particularly important for tall people. Sitting desks are very rarely made with tall people in mind. They are often cramped under the desk, the screen is not parallel to their eyes, and the distance between their arms and the desk is also limited.
An adjustable desk, such as the ones available from FlexiSpot, allows each individual to make these fractional changes to their desk’s alignment. A desk that matches the height and requirements of its user is far more ergonomic with significant health benefits.
It not only helps to improve posture, weight loss and energy levels, but can also actually improve blood circulation and lower the risk of disease. All of these factors are increased if you’re tall!
Buying & Setting Up Your Desk
Now that you’re sold on an adjustable desk, here are some things to look out for when buying and setting up your new sit-stand desk.
The most significant thing of all is to not assume that a standing desk will actually be tall enough for you! Some standing desks are actually pretty short for a lot of people and you need to keep an eye out for a desk that has a maximum height of around 120-300cm.
Something like the E5 Pro from Flexispot is perfect for such situations. The E5 offers a wide variety of height options (between 62-127cm) and allows for a fully customized frame. This gives you the chance to make micro adjustments to fit your height requirements.
A lot of standing desks only offer a limited range of fixed height options, which isn’t really customisable and you’ll find yourself having to make do with a one-size-fits-all approach again.
Lastly, a couple of factors to bear in mind whilst setting up your desk:
● Your computer screen should be in front of your eyes, about one arm’s length in distance.
● The top of the screen, i.e. the rim around it should be 3 inches higher than your natural eye level.
With a fully customisable desk this should be extremely easy to set up!
Closing Thoughts
All the health benefits of standing desks apply even more so if you’re tall, and the benefits and comfort they provide to tall people are therefore even more significant!
As a result, there is no doubt that adjustable desks are good for tall people.
