Bad posture is a slippery slope. Not only does it have surprisingly harmful long-term effects but it also just kind of makes you look messy and unprofessional. And if you're already an office trendsetter with a killer standing desk like the UpWrite writeable desk or SquaredUp corner desk why would you settle by practicing bad posture?
Here are five simple tips to get and maintain perfect posture while standing at your UpDesk:
1. Find Your Sweet Spot - The first step to having good posture while standing at a height adjustable desk is to know what it looks and feels like. Once you're body is in correct alignment you'll feel a major difference. Good posture while standing means a straight back and squared shoulders with your chin up your chest out and your stomach in. Take a look at your side profile in a full-length mirror and think about drawing a straight line starting at your ear and going through your shoulder hip and knee all the way down to the middle of your ankle. The trick is to keep this "line" straight while maintaining the natural "S" curve in your lower back. There's a handy tutorial and image here. As for the rest of your body make sure that your knees are straight (but NOT locked) your weight is distributed evenly on both legs and that you're standing squarely on both feet. It may seem like a lot to remember but once you know what it feels like you'll definitely be able to tell when something is off.
2. Train Your Muscles - Right now your body might be in the habit of slouching over your computer desk at work all day - even if you're standing. Once you know good posture and you've figured out correct alignment for your body you've got to retrain your muscles to go from a slumping simpleton to a poised professional. Strengthen your abs and tone your arms to make sure that you're up to the good posture challenge at your desk. And did you know that you can even make the most of that slow wifi connection that sometimes plagues your office? While you're waiting for that web page to load place your elbows at your side and touch your shoulders with your hands. You may look a little bit like a penguin but repeat this action a few times and you'll be getting in good posture shape in no time.
3. Have the Right Accessories - We all get by with a little help from our friends. If you want to maintain good posture at your stand up desk the best accessory you can have is a pair of good comfortable shoes. Trade in your high-heels or tight leather loafers for shoes that evenly distribute your body weight and give you some level of orthopedic cushion and support. Another great accessory to keep you standing all day is an anti-fatigue floor mat that is designed especially for tired feet.
4. Stretch It Out - Stretching throughout the day to help your muscles from getting tight can make or break your path to good posture. Not only does stretching keep your muscles loose and your blood flowing it is like an automatic restart if you find yourself slumping or slouching out of good standing posture at your desk. Catch yourself slumping and immediately move into a slow and smooth stretch to recalibrate your muscles before resting back into good posture. Believe it or not yoga at your standing desk can improve your posture while it increases your energy to keep working hard all day.
5. Get Moving - Regular exercise like walking swimming and biking can greatly help your body get strong in order to sustain good posture while you're working. And even if you only have a few minutes on your coffee or lunch break go for a quick stroll outside or even just walk a few laps around your office. Not only will it help your posture it will actually boost your creativity for that upcoming brainstorming session or presentation to the execs.
With these five easy tips you'll be on your way to great posture at your standing desk in no time. Once you've got it have a co-worker take a picture of you standing like a champ at your UpDesk and send it our way via Twitter or Instagram. We may even feature your perfect posture in one of our monthly social media round ups!
