THE STANDING DESK CHALLENGE

Stand... without the need of a 'standing desk'

1. ARE YOU READY TO START THIS CHALLENGE?? 

This is a ONE WEEK challenge designed to get you to see the benefits of using a standing desk, without
actually needing to invest in a standing desk. Or maybe you just want to use your standing desk more
consistently. Either way you can get a lot out of this challenge!
When does it start? Every Monday to Friday you can join this challenge!
There's a handy Progress Tracker on the next page that you NEED to look at before we get started!
But before you start.. make sure you take a look at the next two steps!

2. KNOW THE LIMITS TO STANDING 

Using a 'standing desk' doesn't mean that you must stand all day. In fact, all evidence
STRONGLY encourages you NOT TO STAND ALL DAY. To be the most effective, here are the
guidelines to work within:
Start gradually. Start slow, gradually work yourself up to more standing (within the recommended
guidelines)
Use 'active' breaks. 'Active' breaks have been found to be more beneficial than just sitting alone.
Limit standing time. If you stand for less than 1 hour at a time and less than 4 hours total throughout
your day you are working within the recommended standing guidelines. The real risk comes into play if
you stand for more than an hour at one time AND more than 4 hours total throughout your workday.
Use standing schedules. Anywhere from a 1:1 (sitting:standing), 2:1, and 3:1 ratios are all
recommended by research. The most popular is 1:1, meaning that if you standing for 1 hour you must
also sit for one hour. Whatever schedule works for you make sure you don't surpass the recommended
daily amounts of standing!

3. MAKE-SHIFT IS A-OK! (and encouraged)

You don't need to have a standing desk to get the benefits and functionality of one. Keep in
mind that you'll need to raise both your monitor and keyboard/mouse to move from a sitting to a
standing desk. Here are some ideas of how you can transform your sitting desk into a standing
one:
The 'ergonomic' set-up: Your mouse/keyboard should be slightly below your standing elbow height &
the top of the monitor should be slightly below your standing eye height (plus tilted upwards at approx. 15-
20 deg). Confused? Don't worry I'll explain this more thoroughly in the Facebook LIVE.
Boxes, old texts, ironing boards, can all do the trick! Get creative but be sure not to set-up anything to be
a hazard to either yourself or your equipment.
Wear the right shoes: no high heels! Running shoes in lieu of an anti-fatigue mat can do the trick!
Remember: You can share your AMAZINGLY make-shift (or not make-shift) set-up with the
hashtag #standingdeskchallenge or just tag ergonomicsHelp :)

Share your set-up with the hashtag #standingdeskchallenge

THE STANDING DESK CHALLENGE
Stand... without the need of a 'standing desk'
USE THIS HANDY PROGRESS TRACKER TO GET YOU ON YOUR WAY
We can be so busy that it can be easy to forget to reflect on our day. But when starting something new it's
nice to be able to look back on our progress. This tool helps bridge that gap!
Research has found that starting a new standing schedule may cause you to be a little sore at first, but as
long as you gradually increase your standing time (maybe starting at 2 hours OVERALL in a day) and
work within the ergonomic standing guidelines you can limit those risks.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

How do you
feel at the
beginning the
day?

Were you able

to work within
the 'standing'
guidelines?

How do you
feel at the end
of the day (ie:
energy levels,
focus
soreness)?

Any challenges
in setting up the
equipment?

Any attention
from
colleagues?

Share your set-up with the hashtag #standingdeskchallenge