Sitting too much? A standing desk might be the answer

If you work inside an office, you might unintentionally be setting yourself up for future health difficulties. Based on a recent story by NPR, people who spend too much time sitting during the week face a much greater potential for heart related illnesses than do individuals who are more physically active. The NPR article quoted a researcher from South Carolina University who found that males who sat more than 23 hours a week were 64 percent more likely to die from heart disease than were those who sat less than 11 hours in the average week.

The Good News

The message is clear: Get off your rear. Thankfully, you are able to greatly reduce your sitting hours by building a standing desk. A standing desk — that is just what it sounds like, a desk at which you stand rather than sit — is far from pricey. It is easy to assemble it with inexpensive parts from Ikea. Here’s the recipe, thanks to the Lifehacker blog.

The Easy Way

Need an easy way to build an easy standing desk for yourself? Lifehacker suggests buying some Utby legs from Ikea. To make this desk — one that will be small but provides enough space for your monitor, keyboard and laptop — you need a Vika Amon Top, Utby underframe, Ekby Jarpen shelf and one set of Capita legs. You should have no trouble finding all these items at your nearest Ikea. They should cost you a total of about $140. According to Lifehacker, you can put this desk together by simply assembling the main desk and platform with a screwdriver.

A Bit More Complicated

Do you prefer a desk with a wider top, one that will provide you with more room for your speakers, keyboard and monitor? You will want to construct a wide standing desk directly from Ikea parts? Lifehacker recommends you invest about $250 in five Vika Byske legs, one Lack shelf, two packages of Capita brackets and one Vida Amon tabletop. Then, with just the help of a power drill, you’ll be able to create a standing desk that comes with a bit more room.