Why my standing desk is one of my secret weapons (9+ years of use)

In my line of work, I do a lot of writing. Because of this, I try to rotate between my office and patio as much as I can to shake things up a bit. However, there is still a significant amount of time spent sitting at my desk. And all this sitting takes its toll over time, both physically and mentally. 

One of the best ways to combat this to start standing! I’ve been using a standing desk since 2012, and all I can say is, it’s now one of my secret weapons.

Below I’ll share a few reasons why I use a standing desk, the specific brand I recommend, and some additional tips I’ve learned over the years.

Why I use a standing desk

work remotely from home, and so a lot of my life revolves around the computer. Some days I will be on my computer for more hours than I would like to admit. That’s not healthy, and the human body was just not meant to sit that long. The body was designed to move; that’s why we have muscles. Moving helps circulate our blood, is better for our digestion, and can help us lose weight.

I started noticing some discomfort back in early 2011. And I decided to invest in a standing desk. After all, the computer is how I make a living. So I don’t see it as a waste of money, but rather an investment long-term in my health. And fast forward nine years, I can tell you that buying a standing desk is one of the best investments and decisions I’ve ever made.

Standing desk benefits

Here are a couple of benefits I’ve personally noticed since transitioning to a standing desk.

No back pain ever

Seriously, I used to get horrible upper back pain. Probably from slouching too much. I got so bad that I regularly visited a Chiropractor. Since moving to a standing desk, I can’t even remember the last time I had lower or upper back pain.

More energy

I’ve been 100% gluten-free since 2015 (check out my gluten-free blog), so I don’t get those afternoon lows after eating anymore. But I remember back when I used to eat cheeseburgers and a soda during the middle of the day; I would be almost falling asleep at my desk right after lunch. A standing desk is a great way to get the blood flowing and counter that afternoon lunch fatigue.

Much better focus

For some reason, whenever I’m standing, I write like a racehorse. Whenever I start writing a new blog post, I always do it standing. I crank my synthwave music and blog away.

Burn calories

I’m a super skinny dude. I’m 6.2″ and weigh under 150 lbs. So for me, burning calories is almost a bad thing. But I’ve chatted with friends who’ve had great success with burning weight off when using a standing desk. Your body has to work to support you when you’re standing, so you will burn more calories than when you’re sitting

And trust me, no matter what your physique is, you’ll feel that when you first start using one.

My sit-standing desk

So the big reveal, yes I am going to show you my workstation area. Please ignore the messy cable management. 😬 But you can see from the picture that I have a standing desk with my MacBook Pro on it. This allows me to go up and down throughout the day. In fact, it’s 9:58 pm right now, and I’m standing up writing this blog post.

Standing desk
Standing desk

This is actually my second standing desk. I purchased both from a company down in Portland, OR called Fully (previously Ergo Depot). I bought the Jarvis model both times. They don’t have an affiliate program, so I am just sharing this with you because I want you to be healthier!

I live in Arizona, so they shipped it to me, and I put it together within about an hour. I’m not good with my hands, so that should tell you it’s very easy to put together. Note: It’s very heavy. The piece of wood you get, they aren’t messing around.

When you purchase one, you can get a motor to go up and down and even one with presets. On my first standing desk, I had the basic motor model. With my second standing desk, I went for the one with the memory presets. They range from around $400-$750. Not cheap by any means, but if you’re on your computer constantly, it is the best investment you will ever make. And they also have free shipping.

If you’re curious, I sold my first standing desk on Craigslist for $200. I bought it in 2016, so it holds its value pretty well!

Visit Fully

Can’t afford a standing desk or unsure if you will like it? Before I invested in one, I actually created a makeshift standing desk out of cardboard boxes. 📦 This helped me to see if I could get into the groove of sitting and standing throughout the day. You can start small, or they also make cheaper alternatives that simply sit on top of your current desk.

Standing desk tips

There are things you should be aware of, especially when first transitioning to a standing desk.

Get past the pain

The first couple of days, you will probably be in some pain! If you aren’t used to standing, take it in strides and rotate a lot. You have to build up your leg muscles first

After a week or so, your legs will adjust, and you can easily stand for hours. I usually stand from 8 am to noon. Sit from noon to 4 pm, and then stand again in the evening. Technically I am doing a lot more standing than sitting. But do whatever makes you comfortable.

Invest in a mat

Get yourself a mat! I have wood floors, and so unless you want to wear shoes, your feet might start to hurt. I bought my mat from Get Rung. They have a lot of different options, colors, textures, everything you would need. Or if you have a yoga mat, that would also work great.

Switch things up with a barstool

After sitting and standing for a couple of years, I decided to switch things up even more and introduce a third option: a barstool. So now I have three different height levels I use. In my opinion, the best thing you can do is keep shifting the positions you’re in while working all day. This helps build different muscles and keeps burning more calories.

Standing isn’t a substitute for exercise

Just because you have a standing desk, doesn’t mean you can slack on your regular exercising. I set aside some time every day to exercise, even if it’s only 20 minutes. I also often rotate between working in my office and out on my patio. This way, I’m not sitting in the same position all day. I advise you to do the same.

Summary

Using a standing desk has been one of the best investments I’ve ever made. If you don’t work from home, start nagging or dropping hints to your boss about getting you a standing desk.

Trust me, my past colleagues have done this and have been very successful. This is especially true if your company has an HR department. A standing desk is in their best interest to make sure you are healthy, comfortable, and productive.

After all, the better you feel, the better work you can produce. If you have any questions about using a standing desk, feel free to drop me a comment below!

author bio
Brian Jackson

I craft actionable content and develop performance-driven WordPress plugins. Connect on X, subscribe to my newsletter (once a month), or buy me coffee.

4 thoughts on “Why my standing desk is one of my secret weapons (9+ years of use)”

  1. Hi Brian,

    I have started working for around 4-5 hours every day on my computer – sitting at my chair and I can clearly see the effects.

    Although, I can’t go for a standing chair right now, I’ll keep your advice in mind and hopefully buy one very soon.

    Also, I second your advice about exercising. A 30-minutes workout a day can keep you focused and healthy.

    Thanks, Brian!

    Reply
    • Hey Shafi!
      I actually created a makeshift standing desk out of cardboard boxes until I saved up money to invest in a standing desk. 😄 So you can start for free.

      They also make cheaper ones that simply sit on top of your current desk. But if you can, I recommend saving up for one that at least goes up and down with ease. If you use it every day, it should pay for itself over time.

      Reply
  2. I just hope I will get one soon, as I now work heavily on both my website and other people’s sites as well.

    Thanks for the advice Brian.

    Reply
    • Glad it was helpful! Yes, you can start cheap with just some cardboard boxes even. But saving to get a high-quality standing desk is a good investment in my opinion. Especially if you spend a lot of time on your computer.

      Reply

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