A healthy response to standing desks

Standing desk writers stand by their opinions

I was wrong.

Or, as Fonzie once said to Ralph Malph:

“I was wr-rr-rr—not exactly right.”

At least as it pertains to standing desks. For yours truly thought it not possible for a writer to stand and write.

I was wrong.

Sure, it’s conceivable writers can effectively stand and write. At least for a short time. That thought was conceded. Yet to find benefits beyond giving your back a break did not occur to me. Particularly your overall health benefit—including weight loss. That was an eye-opener.

Here’s a sample of the finding from writers who actively, in some cases exclusively, use standing desk:

From Emily Higgins, owner of Girl Let’s Glow—a blog dedicated to helping women (and some men) transform their lives:

“I found that sitting at a desk all day was destroying my posture, causing me to eat more (since I work from home), and generally moving far less frequently. Getting the standing desk not only stops my Apple Watch from yelling at me to stand 12 times a day, but also has tremendously helped my posture, got me moving more, stopped me from eating as much, makes the days go by faster and also (contrary to what I thought may happen) has made me far more productive...As my blog details, I completely transformed my appearance in the past 6 years, I went from being overweight and incredibly unhealthy to losing a bunch of weight, getting in shape and becoming a model. My transformation can be attributed to various different things but getting a standing desk was one of them!”

Here’s Emily’s choice for a standing desk, the FEZIBO Height Adjustable Electric Standing Desk with Double Drawer.

Marty Spargo of ReizeClub, a website devoted to energy drinks, offers this:

"I have a standing desk, and I love it. Not only is it great for my back, but I've also noticed that using my standing desk while writing has helped me burn more calories. That's because when you write while standing, your body has to work harder to keep you upright, which means your heart rate goes up and your metabolism speeds up."

Some writers, once they start noticing the health benefits, are all in. Like Chad Barnsdale, Founder of Unfinished Man.

“I run a network of lifestyle websites and spend the majority of my day writing at my standing desk. I've been standing while I type for about five years now…. I'm more alert, and my back doesn't hurt as much at the end of the day. I use a standard adjustable standing desk with a motor to raise it to my desired height, and I highly recommend making the switch if you're struggling with back pain or looking for a way to increase your energy…about two years ago, I started standing full-time. I don't even have a chair anymore.”

When it comes to standing desks, it’s not all or nothing. Even when you write about involves standing—like Like Marc Bromhall of Surf's Up Magazine:

Or Copywriter Chloe Barnes of The Write Chloe:

“I’m a copywriter and have been using a standing desk since 2020. I bought one during the pandemic to help with my tennis elbow because my home office setup wasn’t great and my joints were suffering, and it’s been a game changer for my posture! I bought a simple wooden converter off Amazon, it cost around £90, and I stand around 5-6 hours a day now, sitting down for breaks and meetings. I had to ease into it at first but now I’ve totally adjusted, it really helps me get into the zone and focus on my writing. I love it, couldn’t go back now.”

Here’s the standing desk Chloe uses: Adjustable Standing Desk - Wooden and Portable Sit-Stand Ergonomic Desk with an Adjustable Laptop Stand for Home and Office, Sustainable and Eco-Friendly (ZEN) (EM)

We had a number of writers contribute testimonials on standing desks. Stay tuned for next week’s as we talk about ways to incorporate standing desks into your workday.

But what about…Nithin’s Newsletter

I stumbled across this newsletter the other day and the first article that leapt out at me was PC Buying Guide 101. I was instantly hooked on Nithin’s Newsletter. Perfect for people who work from home. Here’s a little more from the author:

Nithin's Newsletter is a weekly newsletter about interesting trends and tips related to Technology, published by Nithin Reddy, an IT professional from India. The articles are simple to digest so that everyone who’s unfamiliar with the topic can understand it easily. This newsletter is for everybody. If you are not tech-savvy you will learn something new and if you are, you can teach us something new!

Inspiring quote of the week

“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.” —Eckhart Tolle