Swapped my standing desk for a cheap kitchen table and my back actually feels better after two months

I bought a $60 laminate table from a yard sale in Phoenix and ditched my $500 motorized standing desk that wobbled at full height, and the firm, solid surface stopped me from leaning on one elbow all day, so has anyone else found that expensive ergonomic gear is sometimes worse than simple stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret55114d ago

Hang on, you're basically saying you bought a cheap table and it fixed your back, but that's just pure luck and not a real solution. The whole point of a standing desk is that you can switch positions throughout the day, not just stand in one spot for hours. If you're leaning on one elbow at a cheap table, you're still putting uneven pressure on your spine, you just don't notice it as much because the surface is solid. A motorized desk lets you find the exact height where your arms hang naturally and your shoulders relax, which a fixed table can never do. Your old desk probably had a bad motor or cheap legs, not a design flaw with all standing desks. You swapped one bad setup for another that feels better right now, but in six months your back will be worse from standing still all day on a hard surface.

sanchez.julia14d ago

You're absolutely right about the six month thing. I've seen plenty of people jump on the standing desk bandwagon and end up with knee problems or plantar fasciitis from just... standing frozen in place all day. That anti fatigue mat only does so much. The real trick is actually changing your posture every 45 minutes or so, not just picking one height and sticking with it.