DIY Standing Desk Project
Online shopping cart complete, credit card info entered, and…..pause. Common sense finally chimed in, “Let’s test this Standing Desk idea before buying the whole set up.” So that’s what I did! I decided to raise my current desk using 2 foot pieces of 2×12’s and 2×4’s from Lowe’s. They even cut them for free and it all cost less than $25.
The only initial drawback was that the desk wouldn’t be adjustable, in other words, I’d be standing the whole time, which many users have reported can be very fatiguing. After doing some more research, I came across Focal Upright. They manufacturer not only standing desks, but leanings seats, that they claim place your body in the ideal working position. I decided to give the MOGO a try and my review can be found here.
Once back at my home office, I simply assembled and screwed the blocks together using some outdoor decking screws I had from a previous project. In figuring out the correct ergonomic position I needed to be in while standing, I referred to the calculator on this website or http://www.thehumansolution.com. Being 6’1″ tall, I needed a desk height of roughly 44.5″ and that meant raising my desk 17″. Since, I knew the MOGO was also going to be in play half the time, I decided to skim a few inches off the height, knowing I could easily add on later.
Results!
Love the new working position! Honestly, I thought I’d get tired of standing for so long, but every so often I switch to the leaning seat for a quick 30 minutes and I’m recharged, back on my feet again. After 2 weeks of testing so far, the only change I’m going to make is raising the desk another 1.5 inches. Other than that I’m sold. I feel more energized, my muscles and joints feel loose, and the mobility that’s offered is amazing. Eventually, I’ll spring for an adjustable desk to allow myself to be rotating positions from standing to leaning to sitting, which scientists say is the ideal, but for now I’m quite happy.
If you’d like know why I even explored the idea of this type of desk, others very similar to it, or the health pro’s and con’s, check out my blog post Here.