Sit Stand Ergonomics

TIps to adjusting to a sit stand lifestyle

EVERYBODY NEEDS A SIT STAND WORKSTATION.

Whether you’ve been working at a desk for most of your life, whether you’re new to the workforce or even if you fall somewhere in between, everybody needs a sit stand workstation. We spend too much time sitting, at work and at play.

We sit down for breakfast, the commute to work, at work, commute home, dinner, relaxing before bed – and then we lay down for 8 hours and do it all again. Without constant exercise during the day, your sit to stand time graph is heavily leaning towards sittting.

The biggest time sitting is spent at work, there’s no doubt about that. Before now, it was something we couldn’t avoid. Thankfully however, with new technologies and a renewed sense of well being and health, it’s never been easier to start taking your health seriously!

Below are some great tips to help you adjust to your new style

Ergonomics Posture Guide

(be sure to click on the tips to help get the most of the extended descriptions inside)

TIP #1: TAKE YOUR TIME ADJUSTING TO SITTING AND STANDING

 

 

 

There’s no hard and fast rule for how long you should be standing. As a few general rules of thumb:

• Stand for 10-20 minutes, 3-4 times per day to increase metabolism, re-energize fatigued muscles and take pressure off your lower back

• Vary your posture regularly, alternating between sitting and standing throughout the day

• When you have a visitor, adjust your desk to a standing position and have a standing meeting. Research shows that standing meeting are wrapped up quicker than seated meetings

• Start your day standing and before you leave for the day, raise your desk up so you’re ready for tomorrow

• Standing sessions should last between 10-20 minutes, longer if you feel more comfortable. Try to avoid getting tired and needing to sit, build up to the longer sessions.

There’s no hard and fast way to get used to standing up at work. All of our bodies are different and some may take longer to adjust than others. Using accessories like floor mats and standing stools are a great way to get your body accustomed to standing longer whilst at work and to reduct the risk of sore feet and legs. You need to pace yourself but also understand that the change won’t occur overnight. It takes time and you need to stick with it – the health benefits are too great to ignore.

Example Program

Arrive at work: Try standing on your arrival to help counteract the effects of the morning commute.
Before lunch: Just before lunch try to stand to help circulate the blood flow to help activate your muscles.
After lunch: When you return from lunch, stand up to help your body digest your food. This helps stimulate circulation.
Afternoon: Standing up in the afternoon helps increase brain function and boosts productivity and motivation.

 

 

 

TIP #2: ALTERNATE BETWEEN SITTING AND STANDING

 

 

 

Utilising your height adjustable desk isn’t about choosing one or the other, the best method lies in alternating between sitting and standing. A lot of people who invest in a height adjustable desk end up not using them properly. Not only does this end up with the person not utilising the standing function properly, it ends up with a negative impact on the persons body.

By following a regular routine of alternating your position, your body will learn to adjust to the various position in the same way we got used to sitting down for work in the past. Only by committing to regular routine will we break the habits of old.

 

TIP #3: TAKE SHORT BREAKS

Make sure to take lots of short breaks and stretch your muscles. Those short breaks don’t need to be a walk away from your desk, sometimes a quick look away from your screen for 1-2 minutes whilst you sort through papers, get a drink or just simply make a phone call is enough to keep yourself active and changing position. You may even find breaking up the day with short little breaks helps increase your productivity as you increase your activity level.

By using these techniques you can make sure you try to keep moderately physically active during the day. Don’t forget, the best posture is always the next one.

TIP #4: SET UP YOUR DESK CORRECTLY

 

Simply having a height adjustable desk is not enough to benefit your health. You need to make sure your workstation is setup up with the correct ergonomics. Use the guide in this booklet to make sure you’ve set your desk up properly.

 

TIP #5: PERFORM SIMPLE EXERCISES FOR MOTIVATION

 

Exercise makes you smarter, helps keep you fitter and increases your physical and mental well being. Increasing creativity, productivity and wellbeing are critical for maintaining positivity and productivity during the day.

By using the simple exercises below, you can help train your body to adjusting to a sit stand lifestyle to help enjoy the wonderful benefits of your sit stand workstation.

Standing on Tip Toe

Place your feet so that they are in line with your hips and lift your heels slowly to balance on your tiptoes. Hold this position for a moment before lowering down to the start position. Repeat for 1-2 minutes.

Balancing On One Leg

Stand on one leg and hold your balance. Clench your buttocks to stabilise your hips and hold this position for a few moments before releasing and alternating legs. Repeat for 1-2 minutes.

To increase the difficulty, try standing on one leg on tiptoe and performing the same exercise.

Calf Stretch

Place your hands on the edge of your bench top in the raised position. Bend your knees slightly and stretch one leg out towards the back, as if you were going to take a step backwards. Make sure both feet are firmly on the ground and move your hips forward until you feel a slight strain in your calf muscles. Repeat for 1-2 minutes.

Back Stretch

Again place your hands on the edge of your bench top in the raised position. Take a step back with both feet so that you are a step back from the desk and your feet are in line with your hips. Using your arms on the front of the desk for support, lower your body down towards the desk until your arms are at 90 degrees. Once you’ve reached this position push against the desk to raise yourself back up to the starting position. Repeat for 1-2 minutes.

Knee Lift

Place one foot in front of the other and lift the heel of your rear leg from the floor. Bend your knees to lower your body down until you feel a strain on your hamstrings. Hold this position for a moment and return to starting position. Repeat for 1-2 minutes.

Knee Flex

Raise your desk and stand on one leg and hold your balance. Place your hands on the edge of your desk for support. Using your opposite leg, lift from the knee and raise your leg behind you until it is parallel with the floor. Hold this position for a moment before returning to the start position. Repeat 10-15 times per leg.

Leg Stretch

Raise your desk and stand on one leg and hold your balance. Place your hands on the edge of your desk for support. Using your opposite leg, lift your leg up and bend at the knee so that your thigh is even with your hips in front of you. Hold this position for a moment before returning to the start position. Repeat 10-15 times per leg.

To increase the difficulty, once your thigh is even with your hips, extend your leg out as far as you can. Hold this position before slowly lowering it back to the starting position. Without lowering your thigh, repeat 4-5 times.