Ergotron (the parent corporation of OmniMount and a partner in the JustStand Wellness Uprising) offers an array of standing desks, including the WorkFit-A (or Work15 in OmniMount’s line-up).“Stand in the place where you live…Wonder why you haven’t before. Now stand in the place where you work.”–REM, “Stand”
Do me a favor…before you settle in to start reading this, stand up. That’s right. Humor me for a moment, and get out of your office chair or up off your couch and stand for a bit. Because while most of the reviews that you read in this magazine can open your eyes to new products and problem-solving solutions, this one might actually save your life.
Like many of you, I used to lead a fairly physical life. Before I was a custom integrator I was a golf professional for eight years. That involved a lot of walking, a lot of time outdoors, and some amount of physical exertion (not to mention swearing.) Even when I started in this business, I was out in the field, carrying boxes into homes, going up and down staircases and ladders, crawling in attics, and moving around. But now, the majority of my days are spent in the office.
When I examined my lifestyle, I discovered that I sit a lot. I sit in the car on the way into work. I sit all day at work. I sit in the car going back home. When I get home, I sit on the couch until it is time to go and sit for dinner and then go back to the couch to sit and watch TV. And all that excitement is capped off by an eight-hour bout of not sitting that I like to call “sleeping.” My life had become horribly sedentary.
Now, on the outside, it doesn’t look like all this sitting has taken much of a toll; I’m 6-foot 3 and weigh about 185 pounds. But then I saw an infographic at medicalbillingandcoding.org titled, “Sitting Is Killing You: The Truth About Sitting Down.” Here are some “fun” little facts you probably didn’t know about sitting:
„„• Sitting increases risk of death up to 40 percent
„„• As soon as you sit, electrical activity in the leg muscles shuts off and enzymes that help break down fat drop 90 percent
„„• People with sitting jobs have twice the rate of cardiovascular disease
Glad you’re standing up now? Good. Now, here’s a way to keep standing.
For many of us, a desk job is a necessary evil. But just because you are forced to spend more time at a desk doesn’t mean you have to take it sitting down. In fact, there are products that will enable you to be just as productive and far healthier.
Ergotron (the parent corporation of OmniMount and a partner in the JustStand Wellness Uprising) offers an array of standing desks and sent me the WorkFit-A (or Work15 in OmniMount’s line-up). Equally crucial to standing all day is adequate foot padding, so they also included the WorkFit Floor Mat, which I can’t recommend enough. In fact, don’t bother with a standing desk without buying the floor mat.
I’m not going to waste space here describing the installation procedure. Suffice to say, the arm can either clamp to your desk or attach through a desk cable hole and will work on nearly any existing desk. Once the arm is attached, it’s simple work to assemble the remainder, mount your monitor, and route cabling. Within about an hour, I was ready to start standing and (hopefully) stop dying.
Working while standing up really didn’t feel that strange. With Ergotron’s Constant Force technology (the same as employed in OmniMount’s PLAY40 mount that I reviewed previously) it was simple to raise and lower the desk to a comfortable typing height. I could also lower it all the way to a height where I could sit in my chair and work if desired. It did take a bit for my co-workers to embrace my standing. My business partner’s first comment was, “Really? Now I have to stare at you standing all day?” And whenever I would sit, my employees would say, “Standing Desk: You’re doing it wrong.”
After using the desk for several weeks, I found myself taking only brief “sit breaks” during the day, and standing just felt better. I also added the optional Worksurface+ area, giving me a better place for signing things, handling mail, and holding worksheets/bills that I entered into our accounting software. Ideally, I would use an Ergotron WorkFit-D; an entire desk that raises and lowers offering more work area. However the pre-existing corner desk arrangement in my office wouldn’t allow for it.
Besides the health benefits, I find it far easier to greet and engage people as they walk into our showroom. I’m already up and standing, so walking straight to them is natural. Same with phone calls that require walking around our store checking things like inventory. Also, since customers inevitably walk back into our office, when they see my standing desk, it is an easy conversation starter and I’ve already had people inquire about getting standing desks for their office. It also makes for a great demo of the Constant Force technology, letting people experience how easy and smooth it moves.
Ultimately, I might never sell a single Ergotron or OmniMount standing desk (though they are available through Ingram Micro and Tech Data). But it might help me to live longer. So I consider that a pretty fair trade-off.
800.888.8458
ergotron.com
Kudos
Could help you live longer/ better, easier to interact with customers, great way to demo Constant Force technology
Concerns
Your co-workers’ comments
Product Specs
• Supports up to 20-pound total weight
• Designed for monitors up to 24 inches, weighing between 5-15 pounds
• Arm extends up to 42 inches from back of desk and retracts to within 18.25 inches
• Mount pans 180 degrees and lifts 20 inches; monitor mount tilts 30 degrees and rotates for portrait/landscape viewing
• Desk clamp attaches to surface edge 0.78 to 2.6 inches thick
• Cable management routes and hides cords
