In this article, our resident physiotherapist Pauline discusses how many people with lower back pain have seen significant improvements as the result of using a standing desk.

Benefits of Standing Desks for People with Back Pain
 - Reduction of Lower Back Pain
 - Improvement of Posture
 - Increases Mood and Energy Levels
 How People with Back Pain should use a Standing Desk
 - Specific Ways to Stand
 - Standing vs. Sitting Time
 - Standing Surface
 Medical Considerations
 References

​Standing desks have been shown to be beneficial to people who experience persistent pain. In fact, a 2018 study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29330230/ showed that using a standing desk decreased persistent low back pain in participants by 50%.
 
This does not mean that standing desks are the solution to your back pain, but it certainly can help you manage your symptoms. When used appropriately, standing desks have the ability to help you manage your symptoms of low back pain, and may decrease your symptoms of pain while working. 

Using a standing desk can help you improve your posture. Standing for a few hours of your work day will increase the endurance of your small, stabilizing muscles in your low back, hips, glutes, and thighs. Being better able to recruit these muscles for longer periods of time can also help you improve your sitting posture while you take breaks from standing at your sit-stand desk. 

​A standing desk has been an effective way to improve worker’s moods and energy levels. A 2012 study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23057991/ demonstrated that an improvement in mood and increase in energy levels remained so long as employees continued to use standing desks while at work, and that these positive effects were reversed once they stopped using a standing desk.
 
Mood and energy levels are highly correlated with pain; in fact, about 25-50% of individuals with persistent pain report at least a moderate level of depression and/or anxiety according to a study conducted in 2012. https://www.jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2012.4182 Improving energy and mood levels can have a significant impact on the severity of your musculoskeletal pain. In fact, depressive symptoms in individuals who underwent physical therapy treatments decreased by around 40%. This study showcases how a reduction in pain can increase one’s mood, and vice versa. 

​In order to optimise the benefits of a standing desk, one must consider their standing posture. Standing in a neutral spine position is ideal.
 
In order to find your neutral spine, widen your collarbones and drop your shoulders. Elongate your neck and do a small nod yes to keep your neck in a neutral position. Next, tilt your pelvis forwards and backwards, from one extreme to the other. After doing this tilt a few times in each direction, stop in the middle of the two extremes. This is a neutral low back/pelvis position.
 
When working at your standing desk, do a check in every fifteen to twenty minutes to see if you have shifted from this ideal neutral position. Frequent checks throughout the day will help you increase the amount of time you spend standing in a better position during your work day. 

Standing desks are a fantastic strategy for those with persistent pain. A 2019 study showed that individuals with higher levels of persistent low back pain move less during their work day, which includes less shifting and micro changes in position while sitting at their desks.
 
While a sit stand desk is a remarkable tool for modifying our behaviour at work, we should not aim to stand for the entire day. Rather, aim to stand for ⅓ to ½ of your work day. If you currently spend your entire work day sitting, start with standing for a combined total of one hour during your work day and progress up to three to four.
 
In addition to the combination of sitting and standing throughout your work day, you should also try your best to walk throughout your work day. Two to three minutes of walking every hour is ideal. Consider taking a quick walk to the kitchen or bathroom, or up and down your stairs at home.
 
This combination of sitting, standing, and walking has been shown to be the most effective way to improve and manage low back pain and problems during the work day. 

​Optimising comfort is another important consideration when working at a standing desk. An ergonomic standing mat, which is meant to provide extra cushioning to stand on, can help mitigate low back pain. These mats should be 2-3 cm thick.
Good footwear with adequate support is another consideration if you have low back pain with prolonged standing. A running shoe or sandal with arch support can help when standing throughout your work day. Consider switching your house slippers out for footwear with slightly more support while working. 

​For the majority of the population, sit stand desks are wonderful tools for decreasing sedentary behaviours and improving low back pain. However, standing desks will likely not help improve pain from more serious low back problems such as scoliosis or bulging discs.
 
If you suffer from any cardiovascular problems, standing for a prolonged period of time can actually increase your chances of developing a deep vein thrombosis or varicose veins. You may develop swelling or pain in the legs or feet. Prolonged standing is not recommended for individuals with vascular or heart conditions, especially intermittent claudication.
 
If you are currently experiencing problems with your heart or have a vascular condition, or have had one in the past, consult a medical professional before purchasing a standing desk.

​Bontrup, C., Taylor, W. R., Fliesser, M., Visscher, R., Green, T., Wippert, P., & Zemp, R. (2019). Low back pain and its relationship with sitting behaviour among sedentary office workers. Applied Ergonomics, 81, 102894. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2019.102894
Gibbs, B. B., Hergenroeder, A. L., Perdomo, S. J., Kowalsky, R. J., Delitto, A., & Jakicic, J. M. (2018). Reducing sedentary behaviour to decrease chronic low back pain: The stand back randomised trial. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 75(5), 321-327. doi:10.1136/oemed-2017-104732
Pronk, N. P., Katz, A. S., Lowry, M., & Payfer, J. R. (2012). Reducing Occupational Sitting Time and Improving Worker Health: The Take-a-Stand Project, 2011. Preventing Chronic Disease, 9. doi:10.5888/pcd9.110323
Wideman, T. H., Scott, W., Martel, M. O., & Sullivan, M. J. (2012). Recovery From Depressive Symptoms Over the Course of Physical Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study of Individuals With Work-Related Orthopaedic Injuries and Symptoms of Depression. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 42(11), 957-967. doi:10.2519/jospt.2012.4182

Ergonomics in the workplace is an important consideration for injury prevention and
pain management. Follow the below guidelines to ensure your workstation setup is
optimised. An ergonomic workstation setup can help decrease neck, back, hip,
shoulder, or wrist pain.

Work Surface Height
If doing paperwork tasks, your desk height should be 2.5-5cm above your elbow height
if you are sitting in a chair.

Monitor Height
With computer based tasks, you want the work surface to accommodate your computer.
When seated, the top of your computer screen should be where your line of sight
naturally falls.

Monitor Distance
Your monitor should be about an arm’s length away from you.

Monitor Tilt
Tilt your computer screen back away from your face to decrease the strain on your neck
and eyes. Tilting your monitor back about 3 centimeters, so that your eyes naturally fall
on the address bar (or URL bar) of your internet browser, will decrease the strain on
your neck and keep your eyes at a comfortable level.

Chair Depth
Your buttocks should be positioned very close to the back of the chair. Your knees
should not be touching the front of the chair cushion. Ensure that there is about a 3-5cm
gap between the back of your knees and the front of your chair.

Chair Height
Lower your chair so that your feet rest comfortably on the ground with your knees bent.

Chair Armrests
Your arm rests should not interfere with arm movements or limit your ability to sit close
to your computer. Ensure that your armrests are at a height where your forearms can
rest naturally with your elbows bent and your shoulders relaxed.

Workstation Layout
An “L” configuration is recommended to allow easy access to both computer and open
desk space.
There should be no obstruction to the knee swivel space, to ensure that transition
between both spaces is easy and fluid.

Document Placement
Place frequently used items within forearm’s reach. Place occasionally used items
within arm’s reach. Documents should be supported on a raised vertical angle if they
are being consulted while using a computer. Consider purchasing a document ramp for
this purpose. Documents should be positioned beside the monitor or between the
monitor and the keyboard.

Mouse Placement
Place the mouse as close to the keyboard as possible. Your mouse should be the same
vertical height or slightly higher than the keyboard. It should never be lower than the
keyboard. A mouse that is far away from and lower than the keyboard forces the user to
reach further. Appropriate mouse placement keeps the mousing arm close to the body,

the elbow bent, the shoulder neutral, and the wrist straight. This is the optimal
ergonomic position for the upper extremity.

Keyboard Placement
Your keyboard should line up with your computer screen. Never have the keyboard and
computer screen at different angles. This will cause excessive neck strain and
movement throughout your work day. Below is a diagram of appropriate mouse and
keyboard placement.

Keyboard Guidelines
Keep your wrists straight while you are typing (as if you were playing a piano). If your
keyboard is on a retractable platform, tilt it slightly away from you or keep it level; never
tilt it towards you. This means that the front of the keyboard (the side closest to you)
should be level or slightly lower than the back of the keyboard.
Do not anchor your wrists while typing, but keep them floating above the surface of the
keyboard. Your forearms resting on the edge of the desk or on the armrests of your
chair should be taking the weight of your arms while typing.

Having the keyboard too low can cause you to extend your wrists to type. Another
common reason why your wrists could be extended is that your keyboard tray itself is
propped up on its small legs. If this tends to make you extend your wrists, lower these
legs to make your keyboard sit flat.
Wrist extension (bringing the back of your hand closer to the back of your forearm)
causes more pressure on your carpal tunnel, which is a sensitive structure in the base
of your wrist. Common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome is tingling or soreness on
the palm side of your wrist.
Use a soft touch when typing, and keep your fingers gently curved. Break up prolonged
keyboarding with other tasks for at least five minutes of every hour. Beyond this larger
break, take frequency micro-breaks to stretch your arms and hands.

Wrist Placement While Typing and Mousing
It is common to have a bent wrist while typing or using a mouse. Bending your wrist
causes increased tendon friction and irritation. It also requires more muscle force to
accomplish a task. Lastly, bending your wrists to type increases pressure in your carpal
tunnel area, which is a common site of nerve entrapment at the base of your wrist,
where it meets the palm of your hand. Keeping your wrists straight while you type and
use a mouse decreases pressure in your wrist and lowers the risk of injury.

​Reduce Glare
Reducing window glare will help your eyes from being strained and tired. Place your
monitor perpendicular (at a 90 degree angle) to the closest window. If necessary, use
window blinds to further reduce glare.

Lighting
Light sources should be on either side of your monitor, not in front of or behind you.
Ensure that you have access to operate window blinds, and that the blinds can be
lowered or raised as needed.

Reducing Eye Strain
A good way to reduce eye strain is to adjust monitor brightness and contrast settings on
your computer screen. Make sure that the size of the text of your screen is at least 3.5
mm high. This will ensure that you are not straining your eyes to see the text when the
screen is a comfortable arm’s length away from you. A good font size for most people
without vision problems is around 12 point.
Make sure that the refresh rate on your computer is set to as infrequent a rate as
possible, to avoid constant flickering of your screen which can strain your eyes over
time.
About every 30 minutes, look at a distant view for 30 seconds to 1 minute (at the other
side of the room, down the hallway, or out the window), to rest your eyes. Your eyes
use different muscles when looking at something close up and something far away, so
this break for your eyes is an important way to decrease discomfort from looking at your
screen.

“Sitting is the new smoking” is the slogan the Australian government are using to highlight the dangers of prolonged sitting and inactivity [i]. Living a sedentary lifestyle increases the chance of becoming overweight, developing heart disease and type II diabetes and mental health issues. Having studied physiotherapy and witnessed the injuries associated with prolonged sitting, these effects do not surprise me. The human body is engineered to stand. Our hearts, digestive organs and musculoskeletal system are more efficient in standing. It is no wonder that if we avoid this natural posture, the effects can be detrimental.
 
Weight Management

Sitting for prolonged periods can result in weight gain and obesity[ii]. Through movement and contracting our muscles, we burn off the fats and sugars we eat. If we spend a lot of time sitting, our muscles remain in a non-contracted state causing us to retain these fats which eventually get converted to glycogen stores, resulting in weight gain. Even if you regularly exercise but spend a large amount of time sitting, you can still develop health problems such as metabolic syndrome which increases your risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
On the contrary, standing has been shown to reduce your risk of weight gain. When we stand, the large muscles in our buttocks (glutes) and thighs (quads) are active or contracted, resulting in more calories burned.
 
In 2012, a study in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health investigated the difference in calories burned between students sitting at a traditional seated desk and students working at a standing desk. The results indicated a significant increase in calories burned for subjects that were at the standing desk compared with the seated group[iii].
 
Reduced injury rates
 
Sitting does not only result in less muscle contractions; it also takes our joints out of their  natural anatomical position and leads to abnormal postures that increases the risk of injury.
 
When sitting, our hips are flexed which can cause shortened hip flexor muscles and soft tissues. This leads to tight hip joints and altered body movements which can result in other muscles having to compensate for the loss in flexibility[iv].
Back pain can also be aggravated by sitting. A significant portion of the population (25–50%) is known to develop acute low back pain (LBP) during prolonged sitting[v]. Poor posture while sitting may also result in lengthened muscles and tendons of the back leading to an increased risk of chronic back pain.
Standing, and in particular, the change from a sitting to a standing desk has been shown to reduce back pain[vi]. In addition to this study, Pronk et al. 2011 found that participants who spent an average of 66 minutes of their workday standing experienced a 54% reduction in upper back and neck pain compared to sitting[vii].
 
Improved Productivity and Mental health
 
The benefits of standing while working are not restricted to physical health. Improvements in productivity and mental health have also been demonstrated. A 2016 study carried out over 6 months demonstrated that employees who were at standing desks were significantly more productive than seated employees[viii].
 
Although the link between prolonged sitting and mental health is not fully understood, we do know that the risk of anxiety and depression is higher in people that sit more. This may be because people who are spending a lot of time sitting are missing out on the positive effects of physical activity. Pronk et al. 2011 also showed that 33% of participants felt reduced levels of stress after using a sit to stand desk.
 
The evidence clearly demonstrates that standing desks are beneficial for every physically capable desk user.
 
In order to maximise these benefits and minimise any risks, there are guidelines I would advise:  

• A regular change of position is the important thing to take from the evidence. Although prolonged sitting has detrimental effects, standing in the same position for a full working day can also have its draw backs. Buckley et al. 2015 recommend workers to initially aim for two hours standing per day, eventually progressing to a total of four hours per work day[ix].

 

• Whether you are sitting or standing, working with an improper posture or poor ergonomic set up can cause injury and negative health consequences. Ensure your work space is set up properly and regular breaks from postures are taken.

 

• Even if you adopt a stand desk and feel the benefits, it does not simply replace physical exercise. In my opinion the slogan should be changed from “sitting is the new smoking” to “being static is the new smoking”.

 
References: 

I. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/the-dangers-of-sitting

II. APA Bassett, David R. Jr.1; Freedson, Kozey, Medical Hazards of Prolonged Sitting, Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews: July 2010 - Volume 38 - Issue 3 - p 101-102. doi: 10.1097/JES.0b013e3181e373ee

III. Difference in Caloric Expenditure in Sitting Versus Standing Reiff, Marlatt and Dengel. Difference in caloric expenditure in standing versus sitting desks. Journal of physical activity and health. 2012. Issue 7. P1009-1011

IV. Mills M, Frank B, Goto S, et al. EFFECT OF RESTRICTED HIP FLEXOR MUSCLE LENGTH ON HIP EXTENSOR MUSCLE ACTIVITY AND LOWER EXTREMITY BIOMECHANICS IN COLLEGE-AGED FEMALE SOCCER PLAYERS. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2015;10(7):946‐954.

V. Sheahan, T.,Diesbourg, S. The effect of rest break schedule on acute low back pain development in pain and non-pain developers during seated work. Applied Ergonomics. Volume 53, Part A, March 2016, Pages 64-70

VI. APA Ognibene, Grant T. BA; Torres, Wilson BS; von Eyben, Rie MS; Horst, Kathleen C. MD Impact of a Sit-Stand Workstation on Chronic Low Back Pain, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine: March 2016 - Volume 58 - Issue 3 - p 287-293.

VII. Pronk NP, Katz AS, Lowry M, Payfer JR. Reducing Occupational Sitting Time and Improving Worker Health: The Take-a-Stand Project, 2011. Prev Chronic Dis 2012;9:110323.

VIII. Gregory Garrett, Mark Benden, Ranjana Mehta, Adam Pickens, S. Camille Peres & Hongwei Zhao (2016) Call Center Productivity Over 6 Months Following a Standing Desk Intervention, IIE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors, 4:2-3, 188-195.
​
IX. Buckley JP, Hedge A, Yates T, et al. The sedentary office: an expert statement on the growing case for change towards better health and productivity. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2015;49:1357-1362.​

In the wake of the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and subsequent restrictions being imposed by many workplaces, UpDown Desk has been asked by several customers about setting up their home office as well as the ergonomic considerations. 

A home office can be an effective place to operate and get the most out of a workday without being distracted by colleagues, though it does come with its challenges. The two main areas of challenge within a home office are physiological and physical. Physiological challenges include lack of social contact with colleagues, external distractions (that new computer game…), or simply not enough natural light which can help to improve your mood. We’re going to concentrate on the physical/ergonomic challenges in this article.

The biggest problem is that people who work from home tend to do more sitting hours. They become focused on what they’re doing and often forget to move! Sitting less is essential. No matter how active you are, even if you’re getting plenty of exercise daily, you still might be sitting too much. There are great benefits of standing desks.

Danger appears sooner AND later. Short terms risks can often be felt by the individual the same day or within days; lower back pain for example. Clinically proven medium and long terms risks include posture problems, weight gain and reduced energy.

If you’re in the boat of needing to work at home soon, here’s UpDown Desk’s guide to setting up a standing desk in a home office:

1. Make sure your chosen desk location has plenty of space, decent natural light, few distractions, and enough power points.
2. Measure the area to decide what size desk you will need. To help you out, UpDown Pro Series desks are 750mm deep and either 1200mm, 1500mm or 1800mm wide. We also have 3-legged corner desks.
   
3. On the UpDown website, pick the desk size, frame colour, type of desktop (bamboo or Melamine) and then add a cable tray and standing mat. Take advantage of our current “FREE home delivery” offer. If you’re in Melbourne, you’ll receive your desk as soon as the next business day. If you’re in Adelaide or anywhere along the eastern seaboard, it’ll only be a couple of days.
   
4. Unpack the 3-5 cardboard boxes that arrive on your doorstep by courier and follow the instructions on how to assemble your desk. Within 30 minutes you’ll have a fully functioning sit/stand desk. There is also an installation video on the product page on our website (link) if you get stuck.
5. Ensure you read our detailed information on how long should I stand as well as standing stance on our website to ensure you get the most out of your UpDown desk.

Enjoy the ongoing health benefits, which should be noticeable almost immediately!

The workplace ergonomics industry has gathered a lot of traction over the past few years, possibly as a result of our increased understanding of the risks of sedentary lifestyles. The popularity of standing desks has increased significantly during this time, which makes perfect sense considering prolonged sitting at work is one of the main reasons for our sedentary lifestyles. However, questions have been asked lately about the efficacy of standing desks. Questions such as, Are standing desks any good for you? Do standing desks actually work?  What evidence is there to support the use standing desks? have been written about in recent times. 

The purpose of this article is to discuss the efficacy of standing desks from the perspective of a Physiotherapist. We would like to thank Jordan Lees, Principal Physiotherapist from The Ergonomic Physio, for writing this article.

From a Physiotherapist's perspective, there is absolutely no doubt that standing desks are beneficial. We know that the majority of injuries sustained by office workers are due to overuse and prolonged postures. Our bodies simply are not designed to spend hours upon hours in the same position. This is what happens when we sit at our desks all day. In doing so, small physical stresses accumulate, and postural muscular adaptations occur. Because these stresses are so small, we usually don't notice them, until they have accumulated to the point of an injury developing. At this point, it is much harder to fix the problem. 

Sit-stand desks provide office workers with the ability to change positions between sitting and standing regularly throughout the day. Very simply, this is the easiest way to prevent overuse injuries and postural adaptations from developing, by avoiding prolonged postures. So from a preventative perspective, standing desks are brilliant. 

With that said, our team of Physiotherapists at The Ergonomic Physio don't advocate that standing desks are a cure for all musculoskeletal problems experienced by office workers. Injured employees should be assessed and treated individually, based on their presentation. Ergonomic assessments are a great way to achieve this. Nevertheless, for the majority of people, and the majority of overuse injuries sustained in an office setting, standing desks are likely to be a major component in the treatment and prevention of those injuries for the very simple reason that they are the best way to prevent office workers from sitting in prolonged positions for too long, which in turn reduces the accumulation of physical stresses and the likelihood of postural adaptations from occurring. 

This article has been written by Jordan Lees, Lawyer and Physiotherapist. Jordan addresses the physiological and legal arguments to support your request for a standing desk in your workplace. ​

​So, you have an injury (let's just say it is back pain, since 80-90% of Australians will experience back pain during their life), and like most people, you find that prolonged sitting aggravates your symptoms. You have asked your manager at work for a standing desk to help with your recovery. The only problem is that your request has been denied! Well, don't despair, and keep reading, because this article will arm you with all of the information that you need to help change your manager's mind.

The obvious starting point is to bring to your manager's attention that most injuries or pains experienced by desk-bound workers are caused by overuse - simply doing the same thing, in the same position/posture, for hours on end. This causes physical strain to accumulate in the same areas, and for some people, this progresses to pain or injury. By using a standing desk, you will be able to regularly switch between sitting and standing throughout the working day, thereby reducing the continual accumulation of physical strain to your symptomatic area. 

After discussing this with your manager, hopefully he or she is starting to see the benefit of a standing desk. However, you will likely run into a bit of a road block when it comes down to cost. At this point, let your manager know that an UpDown Desk standing desk frame is less than $700. And if you are getting a standing desk for your office, UpDown Desk will even provide you with a free ergonomic assessment to help you get the most out of your standing desk.* In most cases you will be able to re-use your existing desktop, so there is no need to buy a new one. This $700 might sound expensive, but you could kindly let your manager know that if your injury gets worse, and progresses to a WorkCover claim, the employer will be liable to pay $707 in medical expenses (this is the Victorian amount, it is similar in other states around Australia) before their workers' compensation insurance kicks in. Add to this the lost productivity caused by your absence from work, and the $700 for a standing desk doesn't seem like such a bad option now!

Now, in my experience, it is unlikely your manager will still stay no at this stage. However, if they do, you have one final trump card. Simply get a medical certificate from your treating GP, Physio, Osteo or Chiro, which states that a standing desk is recommended to help with your recovery and prevent further exacerbation of your injury. An employer is playing with fire if they try to overrule the opinion of a treating health practitioner, as it begins to raise questions under employment and OHS law, especially if your condition gets worse. Further, employer's have a legal responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to your workplace if an injury requires such adjustments for you to complete your work. By my reckoning, a standing desk is a reasonable adjustment, especially when the cost is actually less than the minimum amount the employer will be liable for should your injury progress to a WorkCover claim.

So there you have it, a guideline to getting a standing desk in your workplace. Hopefully you'll be reading this from your new standing desk in the not too distant future!


This article is not intended to be legal advice and it should not be taken as such. ​
* Free ergonomic assessments limited to the Melbourne CBD region.

So, you've gone and purchased a sit-stand desk to improve your health and wellbeing in the office. There are now a two key points to address to help make sure you get the most out of your standing desk. These are:

1. How high should your standing desk be?
2. How long should you stand and sit for?

This 3-minute article will provide you with a succinct answer to these two questions, enabling you to get the most from your standing desk.

There is not an exact science to how high your desk should be when you sit or stand, and you should always consider any current injuries you have, or anatomical variances that are particular to you.

​However, a safe guideline is to have the desk at a height that sees your elbows being just above (i.e. 0 - 1cm) the top of the desktop when you are typing on the keyboard. This is typically 90-100 degrees at the elbow. 

This height works for most people. At this height, you reduce the chances of the forearms and wrists digging into the desk if the elbows are too low. However, it is not too high that it results in increased strain on the shoulders due to the forearms not being adequately supported on the desk.
​

The majority of injuries and discomforts that people experience at their desk are accumulative in nature, and typically arise as a result of prolonged postures. 

Those progressing from a standard desk to a sit-stand desk may be inclined to try and stand all day. However, this is not necessary.

Standing in the one spot all day is harder than you might think. Indeed, walking for two hours is easier on the body than just standing still for two hours. Further, prolonged standing is a prolonged posture in itself. Therefore, the possibility of accumulative-based injuries and discomforts developing is very real if you try and stand all day.

Moreover, when you stand, you rely on your postural muscles to keep you upright. These are deep muscles that lay close to your spine and are likely to be somewhat deconditioned if you've been sitting at your desk for 8-10 hours per day for who knows how long. 

With this in mind, the best tip for using your sit-stand desk is to switch between sitting and standing regularly throughout the working day. This might look like 10-15 minutes standing every 2 hours for some, or 20-30 minutes standing every 1 hour for others. The important thing is that by changing postures, you are changing where the physical stresses accumulate. 

A good idea is to work out your sitting and standing thresholds. This is the length of time that you can comfortably sit or stand for at your desk before you feel the need to change position. Once you know this time, never allow yourself to sit or stand for more than 75% of your threshold.

By sticking to this rule you will significantly reduce the likelihood of ever spending enough time in the one position to develop an accumulative-based injury or discomfort. 

UpDown Desk standing desks are already the best value standing desks in Australia by a long way. We have cut out the middleman completely and avoid expensive retail shopfront overheads, which get passed on to our customers as massive savings.

However, do you like the sound of receiving an additional $500 off the price of your standing desk? Well, if you're a small business owner in NSW, you're in luck!

The NSW Government is currently offering up to $500 rebate to small business owners who buy and install eligible safety items to address a safety problem in their workplace. And the good news is that height adjustable desks are specifically mentioned as being an eligible item for this rebate!

There are a few conditions attached to the offer, but it's a simple process. More information can be found here: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/advice-and-resources/rebate-programs/small-business-rebates.

UpDown Desk is not your normal provider of standing desks. In fact, we don't really consider ourselves to be a retail store at all. Our background is in occupational health and safety, and our team are all Occupational Health Physiotherapists and OHS Consultants. As such, the focus of our business is to ensure that all of our customers, both corporate and individual, have safe and comfortable workstations. Selling standing desks just helps us to achieve our business vision.

Getting a standing desk goes part of the way in achieving an ergonomic workstation, as it at least provides you with the option to switch between sitting and standing, thereby helping to eliminate prolonged sitting. The next step is to get an ergonomic assessment of your workstation to ensure that everything is ergonomically friendly, and set up according to your individual requirements. 

Our team of OHS professionals specialise in office and workplace ergonomics. Whilst UpDown Desk is based in Melbourne, we have ergonomic specialists performing ergonomic assessments in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide. 
​

An ergonomic assessment is focused around ensuring that your workstation is safe and comfortable for you, and that all of the furniture and equipment has been set up to suit your individual requirements. 

Ergonomic assessments should involve three stages:

1) The assessor will have a discussion with you to find out important information, such as current or past injuries, areas of symptoms, and sitting tolerances. Providing the assessor is a qualified and experienced health professional who specialises in injury management (i.e. an Occupational Physiotherapist), they will use this information to make appropriate changes to your workstation.

​2) The assessor will make appropriate changes to your workstation to improve the safety and comfort for you. Whilst there are general principles that apply when setting up a workstation, there is no one-size-fits-all that works for injured employees, or employees in pain. This is because their specific injuries need to be taken into consideration. Attempting to use a generic checklist to set up a workstation is often fine in preventative instances, where they individual does not have an injury. However, if the individual has an injury and/or is in pain, a generic checklist is likely to make their symptoms worse, leaving the employer liable to prosecution under the OHS legislation.

​3) The final stage of an ergonomic assessment is a report, which outlines the changes that have been made, why they have been made, and also provides recommendations for further improvement, such as new furniture or equipment. The report component of an ergonomic assessment provides the employer with guidance on to manage the employee moving forwards, as well as providing legal protection. 
​

There are two forms of ergonomic assessments  - proactive and reactive. 

Proactive ergonomic assessments are suitable for everyone, and are performed as an injury prevention tool, or an employee wellbeing tool. The focus is to improve comfort and productivity, and help prevent any injuries from developing. We term these sort of assessments an Ergonomic Office Sweep. 

Reactive ergonomic assessments are for those who have an injury, or are complaining of pain at their workstation, or have a medical certificate requesting an ergonomic assessment. Such assessments are more in-depth than proactive ergonomic assessments and require more time with the individual. These assessments are termed Individual Ergonomic Assessments. 
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There are many providers of ergonomic assessments out there. However, there is one rule that you should consider when choosing your provider:

Ergonomic assessments are aimed at improving comfort and safety, thereby eliminating the risk of injuries. If the overarching purpose is eliminating injuries, then the person performing the assessment must have an understanding of the causes of injuries, how to management injuries, and the pathology involved. If they do not have this knowledge, then how can they effectively prevent an injury from occurring? This is why all of our assessors are qualified and experienced physiotherapists, recognised experts in injury management. 
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Our HQ is located in Melbourne. However, as well as performing ergonomic assessments in Melbourne, we have consultants located in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide and perform ergonomic assessments in these cities and the surrounding areas. 

​To make a booking, please complete the form located on our Ergonomic Assessment page here. If you would like to learn more about ergonomic assessments and get further information on the services that we provide, please visit our partner business, The Ergonomic Physio.
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The team at UpDown Desk are all OHS Consultants and Occupational Health Physiotherapists. We launched UpDown Desk to be able to provide our corporate clients with premium quality standing desks and sit-stand desks for a price that they could afford when we recommended them as part of an ergonomic assessment. 

The beauty of our ambition is that we have been able to eliminate the cost barrier that has historically prevented many organisations from getting an office fitout of standing desks. This has enabled us to help so many more organisations than our own corporate consulting clients. 

We are based in Melbourne and provide office fitouts in Melbourne and around Australia. 
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1. Prolonged sitting is quite literally killing us! 
2. Standing desks are the way of the future. More and more employees are requesting standing desks. So why waste your money on regular desks when you're most likely going to replace them for standing desks in the future.
3. By providing your employees with standing desks, you make a statement that you care about the health and wellbeing of your employees.
4. Standing desks reduce the incidence of overuse injuries in desk bound employees, caused by prolonged sitting.
5. Because standing desks reduce the rate of overuse injuries, they help to ensure that employers are compliant with the OHS legislation, by reducing the health and safety risks to their employees.
6. Studies have shown that standing desks can increase productivity by 10 - 43%.
7. Standing desks have been shown to reduce back pain and neck pain by up to 54%.
8. Standing desks have been shown to reduce fatigue levels by up to 33%.
9. Standing desks have been shown to increase energy and focus, whilst also reducing stress levels.
10. Why not?

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If you would like to enquire about our office fitouts in Melbourne, please complete our enquiry form, which can be found on our "Office Fitouts" page.

Once we have received your enquiry, we will be in contact to arrange a time to meet with you to confirm your requirements. 

Because our entire team are OHS Consultants and Occupational Health Physiotherapists, each office fitout of standing desks is accompanied by an ergonomic office sweep of ergonomic assessments FREE OF CHARGE. We do this to ensure that each workstation is set up ergonomically at the time of installation, thereby making sure that your employees are safe and comfortable, and that your organisation is compliant with its OHS obligations.

For all questions regarding standing desks and height adjustable desks, or ergonomic assessments, please contact us here.