Which is better, a sit desk or a stand desk?
I say, neither.
Because being able to use both is ideal.
That’s why I choose a height-adjustable desk…
Because I like to work in different positions.
Why I Rotate Between Sitting, Standing, and Reclining at My Desk
Computer pain isn’t just determined by the position I work in. It’s mainly how long I work in that position.
Benefits of Changing Positions While Working
Gives Postural Muscles a Rest
Postural muscles are what support different parts of my body when I’m working at a computer. Each position I work in will overuse certain postural muscles, even if I sit properly. Switching positions is the best way for me to give those postural muscles a break, but still get work done on my computer.
Saves Physical Energy
We’re only allotted a certain amount of energy per day. That energy must be divided up between physical and mental. Working in multiple different computer postures is a great way for me to exert less physical energy.
Allows for More Mental Energy
Personally, I wouldn’t stand at my desk for 8 hours a day. I’d be physically exhausted. And it would leave me minimal mental energy for creativity and work productivity.
Working in different positions, multiple times throughout the day, is a great way to save physical energy. Which will allow me more mental energy throughout my work day.
Improves Blood Flow
One of my biggest challenges with doing computer work is decreased blood flow. When muscles are activated for long periods of time, it causes repetitive strain and overuse injuries. This means a decreased blood flow throughout my soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, etc).
Working in different positions throughout the day helps me avoid activating the exact same muscles for long periods of time. This allows me to improve blood flow throughout my body.
What are Different Computer Posture Positions
Side note: Nothing in this article is paid promotion. I paid my own money for any product mentioned. And I enjoy sharing products that’ve helped improve my computer posture.
I rotate through these positions multiple times a day.
Sitting in a Chair
The old faithful of computer posture positions. Some say “sitting is the new smoking.” I say it’s worse. More like “sitting is the new car accident”.
But sitting at a computer doesn’t have to hurt. To improve posture at computer, we just need to make small ergonomic changes to our habits, then practice them daily.
Plus, you can learn the easy way. From my mistakes. Sign up for my free email newsletter and I’ll do my best.
I share easy, actionable ways to improve computer pain, like:
- Elbows above desk level
- Eye level even with the top of the monitor screen
- Feet flat on the floor
- Hip level higher than knees (or thighs parallel to the floor at a minimum)
Standing on an Anti-Fatigue Mat
Standing is a great alternative to sitting. But I’m not standing for 8 hours either. That would be physically exhausting. Which would also take a toll on me mentally.
If you’ve never stood at your desk before, check out How High Should a Standing Desk Be.
Even if I only stand an hour at a time, I’m standing on an anti-fatigue mat. Because the floor in my home office is very hard. And the repetitive strain of standing will eventually take a toll on my feet. Which will lead to overuse throughout my entire legs, even up into my lower back.
The anti-fatigue mat I got was just a basic, cheap one. I ordered it from Amazon. It was like $12 or something.
Sitting on a Stool
Sitting on a stool is a good way to rest my legs, but also to activate my torso a little more (compared to sitting in a chair). Because my stool doesn’t have a back support. So I’ll only sit on it for a limited amount of time.
When I’m sitting on my stool, I’m working more to support my torso on the stool, which is a good thing. It makes me activate more muscles. That makes me slouch forward less. Sitting on a stool also prevents me from crashing my torso into a back rest.
Reclined
I know “reclined” probably sounds crazy for computer posture. This position is tricky, but it’s possible to do it with good posture. I recline either at my desk or on my couch.
I have a small, height-adjustable desk that I wheel over to my couch. This desk holds my external monitor.
I make sure the top of my screen is about eye-level (to avoid looking downward at my laptop monitor, which causes neck pain, tension, and dysfunction).
I type on my laptop, which is on my lap, not on my desk. It’s not directly on my lap. I have a cushion I use under it, specifically for laptops.
I sit on the couch, reclined back at a 45 degree angle. And I support my torso with one of those large pillows that has armrests (to rest my elbows on).
This saves me a lot of physical energy that I would use, either to stand or sit up straight.
And I turn that saved physical energy into mental, creative energy.
This reclined position actually gets me the highest work productivity of my 4 different positions.
Sitting isn’t the only enemy. Working in the same exact position for long periods of time is the enemy.
That’s what causes repetitive strain and overuse injuries.
It’s not necessarily the position we are in, or the quality of our posture, it’s how long we work in that same position.
Some parts of this article may sound complex. If you’re just starting, check out some basics of how to improve posture while sitting at computer.
If you like this article, my Computer Posture Newsletter should be very helpful for you. (it’s free)
Especially if you’re an athletic office worker, who wants to improve computer posture and increase work productivity.
I write about easy, actionable ways to:
- Decrease computer-related pain
- Increase energy
- Improve mental clarity
- Decrease muscle tension
- Improve joint function
Click here to get started.
Thanks for your interest in computer posture.
Todd Bowen — Computer Posture Correction and Pain-Free Ergonomics: For Office Workers Who Want to Increase Work Productivity