Everybody knows that sitting at a desk all day is not good for you. However, most people have never even considered any other way of working at a desk.
In order to minimize the adverse effects of sitting at a desk, employers have typically implemented a number of measures to keep their employees active. Office workers are often encouraged to take short breaks, look away from their screen, or take a short stroll around the office.
Standing desks are slowly changing the way that people work. A standing desk gives an office worker the freedom to move around throughout the day while still at their desk and completing their work. Standing desks solve many problems that office workers face when working at a sitting desk for long hours.
Making the transition to a standing desk can be expensive, especially for a company that employs hundreds of people. Every traditional sitting desk needs to be replaced with a new, often more expensive, standing desk.
The good news is that there are ways to turn a regular desk into a standing desk without spending huge amounts of money. Desk converters transform any desk or table into a standing desk giving office workers the freedom to switch between standing and sitting throughout the day.
Why Turn A Regular Desk Into A Standing Desk?
It is simply a fact that sitting at a desk all day is not good for you. The human body is not designed to sit in one position for hours at a time without moving. When sitting at a desk working, most people will go hours without moving their lower body.
Not only is sitting for several hours at a time bad for the body, but often people are sitting in desk chairs that have not been customized to suit their stature. Finding the right desk chair can be tricky, and most of the time, people are sitting in uncomfortable chairs that can cause chronic pain over many years.
Standing desks solve a lot of the problems that desk works face. A standing desk helps you stay active throughout the day and prevents the all too common back pain from a badly supporting chair. While standing at a desk, most people will unconsciously move their feet and legs, ensuring good circulation and better posture. People who use standing desks also find that they burn more calories throughout the day and find it easier to lose weight.
How To Turn Your Regular Desk Into A Standing Desk
Turning your current desk into a standing desk is often much easier and cheaper than having to purchase an entirely new desk setup. There are several ways to transform a regular desk into a standing desk.
#1 Standing Desk Converters
The first and probably the easiest option is to purchase a Standing Desk Converter that adds height to your desk while maintaining many standard desk features. Desk converters are excellent as they usually have adjustable legs so that they can be used with any regular desk or table.
Most desk converters also have built-in keyboard trays, screen platforms, and other handy features normally included as part of regular desks. The addition of keyboard trays and other desk partitions are especially useful for people who like to keep their desks as neat and tidy as possible.
#2 Altering Your Current Desk
For those looking to turn their regular desk into a standing desk on a budget, the best option is to alter the desk you already have. There are several ways to alter a desk, and the best method will depend on the tools, materials, and time you have available to make adjustments.
One option is to increase the height of the legs on your desk or completely swap out your desk's current legs for taller ones. Of course, altering your desk in this way is permanent and will require at least a few hours of woodworking.
#3 Adding Tiers To Your Current Desk
Adding tiers to your current desk is a budget-friendly version of purchasing a standing desk converter and can usually be done with objects you already have lying around your house.
You can try stacking books under your keyboard or screen to increase their height, allowing you to stand while looking at them. You could also use a smaller table or tray and place this on top of your desk to create some extra height.
The obvious downside to this method is that it does not offer the additional features of a desk converter, like a keyboard tray or screen platform. Depending on the objects you use, your desk might not be too stable and is definitely not the most permanent solution for creating a standing desk.
Laptop Stands
For people who predominantly work on a laptop purchasing an adjustable laptop, stand can add enough height to make it possible to stand at your desk.
Laptop stands have several benefits, the most obvious of which is that they can be easily moved and adjusted. The flexibility of a laptop stand means that you can alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. The other significant benefit of a laptop stand is that it can be moved between desks, perfect for people who switch between home working and office working.
