Alternative Desk Setups

Movement breaks are amazing, but they don’t quite get at the fundamental issue: we are all basically sitting all day. We sit while we work, we sit while we eat, and then we sit on the couch to decompress after all that sitting. 

Here’s the thing: we really aren’t designed to be sitting all day. Our bodies were meant to be able to move in a wide arrange of directions & forms—sitting essentially locks our joints into the same position. With that, I’d love to open your mind to some home office desk up ideas that boost productivity and improve posture. 

When it comes to the best desk set up, standing desks are a great start, BUT they also don’t quite solve the problem of basically being in the same position all the time: sitting, or standing. 

As a framework, I find it useful to think about the position of our joints throughout the day, particularly while we sit, as a way of informing what the “best home office set up” is. When our joints experience a narrow range of motion, they get stuck, and all the muscles around that joint get tight. Consequently, our body and mind begin to feel pretty blah. I’m sure I don’t have to state the obvious that it’s pretty hard to feel great after sitting at a desk all day. Our mind and body hate it. We were meant to be moving, in all different ways. That mobility is what helps clear the mind, move around our physiological systems, change up our hormone secretion, etc.

With that, try to find alternative desk setups that change the position of your ankles, knees & hips. Let me give some examples to help illuminate the concept:

Sitting in a chair: Ankle, knee & hips are basically at 90°.

Standing: Ankle stays at the 90°, knees and hips move into extension (that is, they lose any degree of bending or flexion).

Deep Squat:  Ankle stays at the 90°, knees and hips move into deeper flexion (that is, the hips go below the level of the knee).

Sitting cross-legged: Ankles change their position, knee moves into a deeper bend and the thighs externally rotate in the hips (though the angle is still 90-ish).

Sitting on shins (butt on heels): Ankles move into a complete state of extension, knees in complete flexion, hips stay in their  90°.

Laying on the floor on your belly: Knees & ankles extend (unless you're tucking your toes), and hips move into further even extension than standing.

Make sense?

Anyway, if it’s useful for you to think of it in these terms, do so. Either way, try them out: what position do you dislike the most? It just means there’s a little more stickiness in that particular joint movement. Try sitting that way more often, but use some props (like stools or blankets or yoga blocks) to make it more accessible (slowly open up the knees, or the ankles, or the hips, or all the above). It’s especially useful to have a teacher show you how to use these to make your seat of choice more comfortable (either one on one, in a workshop, after class, or I actually have a whole Work Well section of videos in my On Demand Library).

To be clear, these aren’t complicated, they can really be minimalist desk setups. Personally, I put my computer on a chair and I sit on the floor with a couple yoga blocks, a blanket and a bolster around to help change it up. Sometimes I lay on my belly with my computer on the floor (think of it as adult tummy time —it’s so good for us!). 

Kids are great to watch, because they remind us of how our bodies used to like to sit. As you read this, you might be thinking “she’s crazy, I can’t sit in any of those positions. Let alone work in them.” And you’d probably be right, but that doesn’t mean you should just keep sitting in your chair. 

Work on getting your mobility back—and this is a huge first step. Especially now that so many of us who have a work from home desk set uo, see if you can get into the habit of working in a variety of different places. I know for many of you it’s harder because you have 8 computer screens, which are obviously a little challenging to move. But maybe there’s at least a part of your day (during a meeting, or when you’re reading something just on one screen) where you can reposition to your alternative desk-up: a supported squat, a cross legged position on a pillow, laying on your belly or just standing up for a bit (though I’d love if your standing desk were your third desk and you rotated between all 3 sets ups). 

I know that’s a lot to ask though, but see if you can start moving in that direction. But let’s get those ankles, knees and hip joints movin’. I can’t tell you enough how much this will change the way you feel; not just while you work, but all the time (and for so many years to come). Trust me, it’s worth trying to figure out, and I’m here to help in any way I can. Your body will feel a little freer, you’ll be more productive at work (those desk change ups are a perfect break), and you’ll feel better throughout and after the day. Bonus: your posture will start to improve, too.

You may have noticed my focus has been on the lower body, though of course I could go on and on about our spine, shoulders and the position of our head while we work. Maybe that article will be next, but feel free to email me questions at amy@wellbywolfe.com.