Standing desks are all the rage, and you have decided to give this office/home improvement a try. Good move, (probably). I used to set Alexa reminders to stand up every 20 minutes, (and usually chose to ignore her alert, because I was too involved with a task...Sound familiar?) Then, I would inevitably end the day saying - "OY- I really need to stand up more often at work". According to WebMD, "Besides less sitting time, standing at work has other benefits: More calories burned: One study showed that standing sheds 88 calories an hour, compared to 80 calories for sitting. ... Less back pain: Sitting for long periods of time tightens your muscles and can hurt your lower back, especially if you have bad posture."
But before you sink $275, (or way much more) into one of these desks, try this super low-tech solution. It uses a simple cardboard box, or 2. That's it. In fact, this is a fully adjustable solution because you no doubt have no shortage of Amazon boxes to choose from. The height of your keyboard and mouse should allow you to work with your arms at a comfortable 9oº angle. So choose a box accordingly. Tilt your monitor up if it is very large, or place it on a sturdy box as well, if it is not too heavy. You can try out this arrangement for a week or two and if you find that standing works for you, go ahead and make that investment in a 'Real' standing desk with confidence... Or, you may just decide that the simple box solution serves your purposes just fine.
I've been standing on the job for the past 3 weeks, and have definitely experienced an unexpected boost to my energy level. Bottom line: I would recommend that you give this 'risk-free' set-up a try.
