The DIY standing desk

We are told that sitting down working all day is “bad for your back”? 

Well that claim might have been a little out of context. Logically speaking there is no harm to be done to your spine by sitting down. It’s entirely normal. However, having a sedentary job does seem to be a factor that many people seem to attribute to their back pain. I think we can all relate? We believe that the issue isn’t necessarily the position or posture… it is the time spent in that position. 

As a result there has been an explosion of the options available for height adjustable or standing desks. A lot of businesses are looking after employees by creating an alternative to sit down working. 

But what do you do if you work from home? Or you can’t afford one? Well, do you own an ironing board? 

Let me explain. 

An ironing board is the perfect DIY standing desk. If you work from a laptop, put up your ironing board and use it as a desk. If you need to raise the height of the laptop use a few books or a box to do so. An independent mouse may work better for this setup. 

Basically, human spines are incredibly robust, you won’t damage yours by doing your day to day 9-5 job. But remember the human body was made to move. So give it some alternative options to the same desk day in day out. The ironing board desk is just one option. It’s easy to see that the setup is by no means ergonomically perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. If you are only in that position for 30 minutes you’re unlikely to suffer. Plus, you can vary your stance to be staggered or in a slight squat too.