So you’ve finally decided to give standing a go while you work—perfect! It’s one of the key steps you can take to break the sedentary lifestyle brought by working in front of computer for 8 hours a day or longer. You might be wondering: what’s next? Well, what’s next is the transition, something you need to be ready for.

Transitioning to a sit-stand lifestyle will take some time before it becomes second nature to you, and what you do during the transition period can determine your overall experience and the likelihood of you sticking to the lifestyle for a good long time.

So how can you make the transition from sitting to standing more enjoyable?

Here we share some helpful tips to make the shift easy and help you continue with this newer and healthier lifestyle for the long term. Check out the tips below:

Take it one step at a time.

Understand that you can’t go from sitting for 8 hours straight in one day and then expect yourself to be comfortable standing for hours while you work. This is a recipe for disaster, not to say actual injury.

Start with a few minutes of standing every hour just to break prolonged sitting. Get yourself accustomed to the habit little by little. Here it’s important that you listen to your body—it will tell you when fatigue is starting to kick in and you need to go back to sitting. Just like exercise, start with a few pushups and build up from there.

Make your workspace standing-friendly.

This simply means you need to design your space so that it’s easy to transition to your new lifestyle. How?

Your old desk will no longer work, as it won’t support you when you work while standing. Get a secondary desk that is higher or, even better, invest in a standing desk or a desk converter. Both of these will give you the extra desk height that you need when you’re working while standing in place.

With the right furniture to support your new lifestyle, it’s easier to transition and to keep at it.

Wear comfortable shoes.

This sounds pretty basic, but as important as the other pointers. Set aside your high heels for a while and settle into a pair of flats or at least lower-heeled shoes.

When you’re standing, much of the pressure is on your feet and legs, and you don’t want to add to that pressure by having to balance your body on the pointy heels of your stiletto shoes. Like the first pointer, take it one step at a time. Once you’re more comfortable and have gotten used to standing, then you can slowly go back to high heels.

And, even if you’re a guy wearing flat shoes, make sure that the shoes are fully comfortable and the right fit. Wearing uncomfortable shoes can tire you faster when you stand and can discourage you from continuing with this new lifestyle.

Try an anti-fatigue mat.

This mat is perfect if you’re standing for long periods of time. It will provide extra cushion to your feet as you stand and prevent fatigue and pains on your feet, calves, and knees.

Some anti-fatigue mats can also help you keep your leg muscles engaged so that they don’t lock and cramp. You will find mats that come with ridges to massage the soles, and others that have foot ramps to encourage feet and leg movement. These are especially helpful if you’re just starting to transition to a sit-stand lifestyle while working.

Consider a perching chair or stool.

Sit, stand, and keep standing with some extra support when you get tired—a perching chair or stool can help you with that. A perching stool is a stool that can be adjusted in height. It is designed to provide some degree of support so that you can get off your feet for a little bit even as you work standing.

Most of these stools are designed for optimal mobility, allowing you to do your work without hampering your movement. Some stools are also designed to constantly shift so that you stay moving as you work.

So are you ready for the shift? Jumpstart to a healthier lifestyle by adding more standing time as you work. Start with the tips we shared above to make the experience so much easier!

About Us

MotionGrey is a Canadian standing desk company that specializes in ergonomic furniture. We supply and install only the best quality standing desks and ergonomic chairs in the country.

Our products are designed with wellness as the focal point. From our electric standing desks to our office and gaming chairs, we deliver best value by putting your health, safety, and comfort as top priority. Boost your creativity and level up work performance. We want you to create great outcomes so we’re providing you only the best tools to make them possible.
 
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