Health researchers have long been studying the effects of sitting at work. The reports I’ve seen are negative: sitting all day at work is detrimental to your health. Circulation is cut off to portions of your body, your organs are squeezed and your joints/muscles are forced to remain in static positions all day. Even more disturbing is the finding that exercise cannot offset the negative effects of sitting. If you’re sitting all day, you are harming your health.
Standing desks are nothing new, so I’ve been thinking about it for a number of years. After seeing a post describing very cost-effective standing desks, I decided it was time to try. It depends upon your height, but most people need nothing more than a coffee table and a shelf from Ikea (about $20 total). In my case, I’m tall enough that I don’t even need the shelf. The only item I purchased was a 35″ x 21″ LACK coffee table (p/n 101.042.95). You will probably also want an anti-fatigue floor mat to protect your feet, knees and back.